STEEPLEJACK'S CORNER 2012

[Spinningweb]

The final stages of the Maple Mill chimney demolition.

It was sad watching this as it was the last stack in that area of Oldham, which had been a landmark since it was completed in September 1903.

What interested me was the diameter - circumference of the curved Accrington bricks, and how this changes as the chimney rises.

[Stanley]

Jubilee chimney at Padiham. Note how the Victorian brickies put bricks in any old way if not supervised.

[Spinningweb]

I've seen that on mill pillar supports, including infill Accrington brick mixed with stock bricks.

On this press photo of the Maple chimney I noticed the top 25 courses of brickwork all round were splaying outwards, except the top course which had a banding strap, Swifty mentioned because the mortar had virtually gone on the top course through water damage the brickwork had expanded during the winters through no maintenance.

The photo isn't very clear, but just about shows the top banding strap sat on top of the second brick course.

[Stanley]

The brickies got the coursing right on that top course at least!

[Spinningweb]

The Duke Mill chimney in Shaw, Oldham, under demolition, once part of G.E.C. Osram, the mill in the distance is Cape Mill.

[Steeplejerk]

Looks like Steven goggins behind the guy with the hat.

[Stanley]

It's that long since I saw Stephen I can't tell John. Looks like his sort of a job though, not a lot of H&S equipment as far as I can see.....
By the way, so nice to see another post in this series. Over 315,000 page views can't be wrong!

[Spinningweb]

Pictured yesterday at the former Tardy Gate cotton mill shed at Lostock Hall, Preston, is telecommunication maintenance work being carried out on the mill chimney, still virtually at full height its fitting to see modern technology utilising a part of the area's heritage.
The stack shares similar glazed brick decoration as Ena Mill, Atherton.

[Stanley]

Thanks for posting in the jack's topic John, it's nice to see it pop up in the playlist. For anyone who doesn't know, Steeplejack's Corner was one of the most well populated threads we have ever run. Well worth looking back at the old posts. There was more than one iteration of the thread but much was lost when the site failed on us.
All the bricks in the panel show as headers so that means the panel is two courses thick. That's better than the similar one on Mons Mill stack at Todmorden. When the stack was built the mill was named 'Hare Mill' and the glazed panel on the chimney carried that name and a running hare. When Carrel Freres of Belgium got the contract for the engine they invested money in the mill and stipulated that the name had to be changed to Mons. So the old panel had to be cut out and a new one inserted. When Ronnie Goggins Jnr. demolished the chimney in 1986 he told me that the whole of the panel was a single skin of headers with no tie into the brickwork behind and the glazed bricks came out in sheets when they put a bar behind and levered outwards.
Whoever put the panel in at Todmorden must have been very confident in their work!

[Steeplejerk]

Tardy gate,wonderful name

[Stanley]

I wonder if it has the same connection as the 'Penny 'oil' at Wellhouse mill which was the only way late weavers could get into the mill and they were fined one old penny for the privilege.... Tardy means late......

[Steeplejerk]

Later built mill with terracotta probably around 1900ish,hope they chose the name for the reason you talk about Stanley hehe

[Spinningweb]

Stanley. I looked at photos taken at the Hartford Mill in Oldham when the water tower was being demolished and when you mentioned headers not tied into brickwork was this photo with glazed bricks from the mill name falling in sections another example ?

Tom maybe when the mill was in operation in the early days they kept the main entrance regularly swept to keep it tardy

[Stanley]

John, If I did I was wrong because those bricks on the left aren't headers but cut down stretchers and wouldn't have been tied in anyway.

[Steeplejerk]

Why are all the bricks around the Hartford glazed brick different,???

[Stanley]

It could be that they were specially made Tom otherwise it's because each brick has been cut and rubbed to make it an exact fit. I think, because they are firebrick and glazed, that they are more likely to be custom made for the logo at the brickworks but have never heard of it being done.

[Spinningweb]

A notice for Sunday 2nd April 2023 that the Hartford Mill chimney in Werneth, Oldham to be demolished by explosives by the Precision Demolition Co of Sheffield.

[Stanley]

One of the last few?

[Spinningweb]

After the Hartford Mill stack is demolished remaining In the Oldham area from memory are the lowered chimneys of Anchor, Chadderton, Devon, Lion, Marlborough, Nile, Raven, Vale and virtually full height Manor Mill.

The picture is looking up inside the Hartford stack, the draft from the flue was very strong.

[Steeplejerk]

Me and swifty went to look at dropping it but far to many risks for us

[Spinningweb]

Here was the new bearded Swifty on the Hartford Mill site in early March 2020, yes that long ago, he's thinking where's Tom, the mill demolition that month would stall because of Covid-19.

On the subject of chimneys, just come to mind was the Tulketh Mill stack at Preston losing one of its iron straps recently closing the site car park.

[Stanley]

Tulketh..... You can't ignore the maintenance forever and get away with it.....

[Steeplejerk]

I read about the Tulketh band last weekthe stacks in a bad place now they've built the shops they use the chimney as a roundabout

[Wendyf]

Does anyone know where Howarth steeplejacks were based in Colne?

[Stanley]

I Googled them Wendy and here's the first thing I came up with..... LINK.
Nowt to do with their base but I thought it might interest you.