Urban Exploration - Rose Bank Mill

We are Urban Explorers, we are not vandals. We take nothing besides photographs and leave nothing but footprints.

From what I can find, this mill was built around 1801 and finally closed its doors in 2001. 200 years of use is not bad, but 18 years of neglect and emptiness has left a toll on the place.

In 2015 a bloke hanged himself in the mill and again last year there was a similar incident which adds more ghosts to the others already present in such an old building.

@mender1 mentioned this place to me as it’s quite close to where he lives. He had been in a few years before but told me it had been sealed up again since then.

The mill seems to be referred to as two different names - sometimes called "Rose Bank Mill", and other times called "Edenwood Mill", and was used up until 2001. The mill was made by Turnbull and Stockdale as a textile mill back in 1801, but was later used for printing between 1968 and its closure in 2001

It was a soggy day when I saw the mill personally for the first time. You can get a great shot of the place from a bridge which looks directly over it (cover shot).

It was a slippery treacherous path I took and I needed to watch my footing going down the steep hill. These scraggly weeds were doing their best to trip me up and almost did.

The mill is a big place and a fence had been built to keep people away. Like many of these security fences it was mostly broken down making for easy access.

Part of the building is still open and so I crept inside for some interior shots. Big empty spaces were my reward, and anything of interest has long since been plundered by thieves.

These metal steps were secure enough but the room beyond had a very dodgy floor and I could make no further progress going in this direction.

This route was another one that led to the main part of the mill. See those holes in the floor again? I don’t think so!

Another view of the lower mill. Unfortunately, this was a 12-foot drop, not one I was willing to jump.

Having made little in the way of progress, I exited the upper mill and started walking around the outside. The owners had made some effort to keep people out with these metal rusted cross-bars.

The toilets I presume? Not a place I would visit from the inside.

All mills from the 19th century have huge chimneys, you can see them from miles away sometimes, they are so tall.

‘Danger fragile roof’ says the sign (not shown). No shit! More like paper roof!

The view from the front is one of ‘Keep away’ and not particularly welcoming.

A notice to the public and one to parents. Although not going as far as saying ‘Trespassers will be prosecuted’ it does state a disclaimer about accidents. You’re on your own if you enter.

Someone had put a makeshift ladder up to one window. I could have jumped into this area, but there was no ladder to get back out. That’s kind of important!

Some kids had been in here and left some Christmas décor behind. Again, this part was accessible but not alone without a light.

Signs of human inhabitants; likely the wrong kind.

I clambered around the outside of the building that was adjacent to the river but it was quite well sealed up. Despite this I got some decent shots through the bars. I do like the one below.

I haven’t done this much climbing around in years and with this place being built directly next to a river I had to be careful. One bad step while balancing on the wall and I’m falling 15 feet into the freezing river.

I think a revisit with @mender1 may be on the cards. The lower area does have some decent graffiti artwork but I wasn’t prepared to risk my neck getting to that area alone.

Reports say that the mill should have been demolished years ago and yet it still stands. I don’t think it’s a listed building so I’m confused as why it is still here.

Rose Bank Mill is worthy of a visit and it's grisly recent reputation will likely attract many more Urban Explorers. The best parts are now inaccessible without some improvisation and climbing. I will likely return with some backup at later date.

All photographs were taken by myself.

Other articles in the ‘Urban Exploration’ series:

Urban Exploration - Horncliffe Mansion Part One: The Car Graveyard
Urban Exploration - Horncliffe Mansion Part Two: The Mansion
Urban Exploration – Stand Athletic Football Club
Urban Exploration: Urban Exploration: A Trilogy of Failures II
Urban Exploration: Brodock Ltd, The Old Paper Mill (Failed)
Urban Exploration: Urban Exploration: Workhouse Farm
Urban Exploration: Hellifield Abandoned Train
Urban Exploration: Extwistle Hall
Urban Exploration: Huncoat Power Station (Demolished)
Urban Exploration – A Trilogy of Failures
Urban Exploration: Holdings Country Pottery

References:
https://www.theurbanexplorer.co.uk/
https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/
https://www.whateversleft.co.uk/
https://www.britainsdecays.com/
http://www.urbanxphotography.co.uk/urbex-faqs

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