An explosive demolition of a mill chimney

In this video we visit the site of Hartford Mill an old Lancashire cotton mill in Chadderton Oldham. The mill has undergone demolition and now all that remains is the industrial mill chimney. The mill chimney is going to be blown up demolition by dynamite explosives. After many delays in the chimney demolition the date was finally set for demolition October 2023. Hartford mill is an Edwardian cotton spinning mill constructed in 1907 by A H Dixon who was the architect. We look at our archive footage of the cotton mill before demolition and during. Finally we have some drone footage of the industrial mill chimney and we see the demolition by explosives in a controlled explosion. We look at some archive footage of Fred Dibnah the famous Bolton Steeplejack and his work on mill chimneys and how he laddered a chimney.

[@MartinZero]

Black and white interior mill photos by Sefton Samuels. Music by Dean 'Sensory Triggered'

[@Sylveste22]

Was going to ask about the music; kinda reminds me of something 😅

[@johnthompson3605]

Hartford mill was built in its entirety in Chadderton, My Dad was a textile engineer at Platt Bros at Chadderton , at the time 33000 people worked there , the only thing Platts brought in was raw materils , they made all there own tools as well as textile machinery , all the cast pillars and floor joists all made in chadderton, at the peak of Platts they had a demonstration site , were they built an entire mill ,got it operational then took it all apart for export , Fred did some work on the Hartford chimney those steel bands at the top were all Freds , I did a few engineering jobs with Fred and new him very well .

[@TheInsultInvestor]

GO back to school and learn some grammar.

[@markberry3136]

33000 thousand wow a lot of folk in one building, 🤔

[@darreno9874]

@@TheInsultInvestor it's a shame you didn't learn, compassion or politeness.

[@HighPeakVideo]

@@markberry3136 Platt Brothers covered 65 acres (260,000 m2)

[@Gappasaurus]

@@TheInsultInvestor GO back to school and learn proper capitalization. 😂

[@jimmillward3505]

My grandma worked in the cotton mills and after hearing her recollections nothing would have pleased her more than to see the god damned place blown up.

[@davidberlanny3308]

Thanks for recording the final end. Between you and Roy you have created a lasting memory. I think, also, that your efforts over the last few years have made so many people more conscious about the history that is all around us. I know its the case with me. A one time there was a large sugar industry nearby, very similar to these cotton mills, nowhere near as big though. In many cases the chimney is the only thing left standing, awe inspiring structures! Really well presented video, well done!! All the best.

[@Hairnicks]

Tragic to see the loss of those beautiful iron pillars when they pull the old mills down. I hope some are recovered for recycling. The engine room tiles were beautiful. Yourself abd Roy have created an amazing record of this bit of history, hats off to you both. It's a shame to see it gone but you have to admit those demoltion boys know to the inch what they're doing. Thanks Martin and Roy.

[@snowflakemelter1172]

All the metals will go for recycling.

[@chrisbodum3621]

I felt sad for a chimney for the first time in my life ! Another class presentation from Martin & Co. Thanks for the time and effort you put in these videos lads.

[@yonmons]

Love it when you and the crew do this stuff, I’m 67 and was brought up in mill town Bolton, my late mother worked throughout her life in the mills, when I go home virtually all those mills and their lodges we use to fish on as kids have gone. Brought a lump to my throat did this to see yet another piece of Lancashire consigned to the history books. Great Video….keep them coming

[@caroletomlinson5480]

Story of England, isn’t it? Continuous building, tear-down and repeat…for thousands of years. I’m particularly interested around those years, when my grandparents toiled in factories and their children grew up. Thanks for your interesting presentations.👍❤✌️

[@northernsnapper]

Hi Martin, I very rarely leave comments on You Tube, but the Mill Chimney episode was just brilliant.Great research and perseverance from you and very informative. My grand kids loved the drone shot of the demolition and we all loved the care of how it was put together.Cheers.

[@dilwyn1]

So glad you recorded this piece of history. At least the record is saved for the future

[@ASCIITerminal]

Fred Dibnah didn't have a lot of time for the "Dynamite Boys"!

[@Gardner0871public]

“Didja like that?” - A Bolton Steeplejack

[@dh2032]

he was fire bomb fire stile technique, Dynamite to easy, any derby gets blown everywhere, the fire technique weakens it with a the big bang

[@mileshigh1321]

Why make a lot of noise when you can do it the old school way lol

[@roberthindle5146]

He'd be turning in his grave. Probably powering a few lathes, bandsaws and pit lifts in the process!

[@eddiejones.redvees]

He would have had down in a day his way was more graceful also no big horn warning when is on its way

[@davidahugill9614]

In the 60s when I went to Stratford Tech , I had digs in Moston with a relative, and got to know a girl who lived in Chadderton . I used to meet her in Royton , the whole area had loads of chimneys, her dad worked in the mills . Our mum worked in mills in Burnley , and when the family moved to Morecambe I 1952 , she worked in a mill at Lancaster then Morecambe . It’s so sad to see how much of our industry has gone forever . Brilliant work Martin ........you’re doing a great job . Cheers , DaveH 😊

[@greg5639]

Seeing Roy explain the little diagram of how they were going to bore up and put the powder ( explosives) just took me back to my mining days. I started to learn how /where to bore up / put the holes for the powder. I started to learn this as a 18 yr old face trainee. By the time I retired, I could walk up to the face of a heading ( tunnel) and know exactly where I was going to put every hole. Even after all these years I know I could read the strater and know where to bore every hole. From the burn / wedge to the outer arch. And know how much powder to put in each hole. All that from a simple pit moggy . And much, much more.👍

[@rocketamadeus3730]

You're very good at conveying the gravity and significance of history and the march of time.

[@playwithmeinsecondlife6129]

In my town Binghamton NY I know of at least four old derelict factories that have been transformed into apartments. One was the building I worked in, a small manufacturer of custom electrical cables chiefly for industrial use. When I joined the company it was on the third floor with a few other rooms rented by other firms. It was sold for taxes and the interior was gutted (asbestos) and divided up into 1 and 2 bedroom apartments reusing and upgrading the elevators into full automatic. Finally we were moved into the first floor where the company remains today. It's interesting how the wood floors were black before but a lovely honey colored wood once cleaned.

[@andyshacks7812]

Maybe it’s because I’m from Lancashire but I found it quite emotional when the chimney came down. I agree those art nouveau tiles in the engine house were beautiful. Have you ever visited Queen St Mill in Burnley? Im assuming it’s still open as a working museum. A proper steam driven weaving mill. My gran was a weaver there. Thanks for another brilliant video Martin. 👍

[@davidsedlickas8222]

A very tearful emotional event the passing of history. Thank you for your time and effort to capture the demolition of the chimney.

[@Dan23_7]

I’m old enough to remember your previous videos. It’s such a shame we have to lose these megaliths, and all because the country is over populated and the requirement for more housing is more important. Albeit by the looks of those cracks it was looking past it, but those accy bricks are solid bricks. A brilliant but sad video Martin, the end of that mills era once and for all 😞. Thank you to you and Roy.

[@rogerscottcathey]

14:39 In those arched inlets and windows, it is nice to see the care they took towards not just functional structure, but aesthetics as well.

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

The older I get the sadder I feel when I see a chimney come down in seconds after those long gone craftsmen toiled so hard to build it . No lines runnin in all trowel and level work proper hard graft and massive skill . 🥺😢💥🧱🧱🧱🧱🧱🧱 Great videos documenting this mill thanks Martin 🧱👍🏼

[@gbentley8176]

Could not agree more. Looking at builds today you wonder if they were thrown up by people who have no pride in their finished work. Modular stuff has made craftsmanship redundant in many ways.

[@SuperTerry1963]

Its sad to see an historic site gone. Back then, proper crafts men. I wonder what that site wil become now. More cheap built housing?

[@michaeldutsonlandscapephot2184]

That's a fabulous video, Martin. The end of an era. Another symbol of industrial might that made the phrase "England's Bread Hangs by Lancashire's Thread" quite pertinent... and now gone. All those lives lived, people married, wakes weeks holidayed, birthdays, and funerals all connected with the community which surrounded, and grafted within that building. The past is now a distant land, gradually receding further and further away, until at some point much of it will be forgotten. Very nicely done, mate. 👍🏻

[@robgraham9947]

Great video chaps. So sad to see history just brushed away but excellent that you captured its last moments. I wish this country would take more care of its historical buildings and not let them fall to bits. Keep up the good work. Always look forward to new videos from you Martin.

[@LeapingBlackman]

I wish Fred dibnah was still around... Would love to see the Bolton steeplejack at it again

[@Urbexy]

It's always sad to see these places being lost but it's good that you were there to capture it. Does make you wonder if Fred had been involved in repairs over the years. In his words, the dynamite guys were cheaper to bring it down.

[@superbanaan9]

but as u see not as predictable as freds way most fell on itself and fred had les room dropping them between buildings cars houses

[@mrcrazyjonpresents4312]

Fred apparently put all the bands around the top of it back in the 80s

[@dcraig7712]

nobody took down a chimney like Fred Dibnah!

[@jamiecurran3544]

I used to live near there and my mother worked there when I was young many decades ago😂, funfact I met Fred Dibner and had a chat with the guy when he was with us, he was bringing down a chimney in Royton where we used to ride our motorcycles and hang around, I think it was the Park Mill chimney?🤔, such a nice guy RIP Fred!🙂🙏, thanks for sharing Martin takecare Pal!🙂✌️

[@wacholder5690]

There goes history. But it was this way all the time. Makes room for something new that got torn down some time later again. And again. And again. Thanks for sharing !

[@UsualmikeTelevision]

End of an era. Goodbye chimney. Great video Martin!

[@kristinlagerquist8161]

Well done, Martin. Love your documentaries.

[@mickadams4471]

As good as any mainstream TV documentary I’ve seen - absolutely stunning videography and top content 👏🏻👏🏻

[@peterforden5917]

I really appreciate your doc's industrial history is so ephemeral ! huge buildings that were once hubs of activity can and do dissapear in next to no time, with sadly no visual remains left, my thanks to your work and those people who remember relevant memories like John Thomson here . Thanks for the memories :)

[@petery53]

Another fantastic video Martin,so much history in Britain.I found that incredibly sad watching that chimney going down.

[@davidaspinall496]

I worked in a few mills when I was a teenager and have fond memories of Falcon Mill, Halliwell, where I worked the longest. Great working atmosphere.

[@brianaveriss7972]

Another well documented video. Thank you Martin.

[@user-wu7sn7ml7v]

My friend George Tipping told me his Mum worked in one of the Manchester cotton mills. She owned a home in the Welsh town with the longest name and both have since past away.

[@gerryegan4872]

Great video , so sad to see another piece of history now gone. Thanks for showing it guys.

[@Ptboy167]

Gutted to have missed this, we were on holiday in Montenegro at the time. I've got loads of footage from Hartford Mill and wanted to catch the chimney going. Glad you got to see it Martin.

[@spitfire1962]

Amazing how that would have been peoples view for all there lives, for it to suddenly be gone. Your videos are keeping history alive. I remember visiting the Littlebrook D Power Station in 1978 whilst it it was being constructed and that only lasted till 2015.

[@Mirrorstar]

Well done Martin and your other friends that we see in your videos. They are all valuable records of the past. These building and tunnels we see, were built in a time when people took pride in what they constructed. I don't live in your area. I used to do deliveries along the M62 from Hull to Liverpool before I retired. Deep into your area and west Yorkshire, I always found them interesting areas with some fascinating buildings. Some of my deliveries were in old mills just like this one. Keep up the good work chaps

[@timwy]

Great video guys - now the memories can live on forever !

[@4747johnm]

Always appreciate your videos Martin but this one was exceptional. Fantastic production and brilliant editing. I really enjoyed it, especially the poignant ending.

[@lindamccaughey6669]

Great video thanks Martin. Really enjoyed that..watching that chimney come down had a moment of sadness

[@Marc_von_Hoffrichter]

Magic video Martin, thanks very much mate, cheers.

[@mileshigh1321]

Thankfully you have Roy and his great photos and footage and knowledge! A valuable Team Zero member! The tile in that engine room, at the top, was amazing! When they used to decorate areas even if not seen by the public! Because of you, i know all about Fred Dibner now too! The 2018 video was one of the first ones I watched! I expected the chimney to fall over! Great job with the demo, little dust even! I wish you could have got one of the painted bricks! Thanks Martin and team!

[@katherinekinnaird4408]

Thank you Martin. That was solemn interesting and amazing

[@paulm4637]

Top video We thank you greatly.

[@missmerrily4830]

So, another mill and chimney bites the dust. It's sort of sad but we can't avoid change forever. Such big part of the northern landscape for so long though. And a very sad personal moment every time one goes, as my family history is very much entwined with Victorian mills. Those steeplejacks of old were absolutely fearless, especially Fred Dibnah. I just wish that our modern architecture was a bit easier on the eye, so that whatever replaces it isn't an eyesore. Old brickwork is work intensive but so much nicer to look at than great slabs of concrete. Well done Martin and Roy for capturing the history of the mill and the last moments of this proud old chimney!

[@oliverghunter]

Thanks Martin & Roy, fab that you did finally get to capture this for posterity. Great video, great story, great footage, well put together. Surprisingly emotional seeing it come down!

[@01cthompson]

My grandmother worked in a mill in Scotland in the 30s and 40s. She had the greatest patience after years of counting threads.

[@christophersmith4706]

As usual a fantastic story well reserched and told.

[@richardross7219]

Good video. 170 years ago, here in Connecticut, most rivers had mills on them. The bigger the river, the bigger the mills. There are still some standing but most have been demolished. Many of the sites are not reused because they are considered contaminated. One aspect that I found interesting was that in eastern Connecticut the mills were for thread, buttons, and dyeing. In the middle of the state along the Connecticut River was mostly machinery mills such as Pratt and Whitney, Colt, and Winchester. Most of the mills closed in the 1960s through the 1980s. We had a series of recessions at that time. About 10 miles south of me is a huge old mill that they started to repair and convert into businesses but, they stopped part way. The demolitionists seem to have done a good job. I was afraid that it would go in the wrong direction. Good Luck, Rick

[@briwire138]

I've seen modern day photos of some of the old mills in the far North Eastern USA and was amazed how similar they looked to the mills that used to fill the towns of Lancashire and Yorkshire. Could it be that some of the design skills crossed the Atlantic with emigrants.

[@richardross7219]

@@briwire138 Absolutely correct. Since the beginning of the American Colonies, skilled masons were brought to New England to do stone work on buildings and stone fences. My area in Eastern Connecticut had some large stone quarries. One of the quarries in Oneco had over 200 stone cutters working there in 1850 and they had their own railroad spur into the quarry. They provided stone for NYC, stone arch bridges, and many other structures. We still have many of the stone arch bridges. I used to enjoy inspecting them(except for the snakes in them). If you walk the woods around here, the stone worker quality is evident in the 200+ year old walls. The regular farmer walls are generally poor but the mason built walls still look good. In our area, they generally stopped doing walls around 1816 which was known as the summer that never was. Ohio opened up around that time and many from my town moved to Ohio. The population didn't recover until the 1980s. Good Luck, Rick

[@wideyxyz2271]

It just shows how totaly useless grade lisiting a building is because they do nothing with it and it decays and becomes dangerous and then they use that as an excuse to knock it down. Scandalous. Thanks as always for your time and effort to bring this to us.

[@mileshigh1321]

Tragic a boy died there. They should have kept it in better shape!

[@roberthindle5146]

I'm in two minds about this. They are monuments to history. But they were built in an era where there was no sentiment for history and they existed for only one reason - to make money. A building that stands to a previous era without commerce finding a use for it is a dead building. A money pit. The Victorians would have had this down and replaced with something modern decades ago. Maybe we're a bit soft?

[@AJ-xv7oh]

@@roberthindle5146 That's certainly an interesting way to look at it. I think it's because most of these towns, especially Oldham, were built around these mills. They are the reason for the town's prosperity and keeping them up is kind of a show of respect. I don't like seeing them knocked down. It feels disrespectful.

[@roberthindle5146]

@@AJ-xv7oh But, pragmatically, a crumbling brick mill is not really of much use in 2023. They're just draughty, high-maintenance buildings.

[@cockerhamsands]

They just set a fire to get around the ‘listing’ - look at The Crooked House Pub.

[@chrisfox3161]

I'm a Lanc too. Thanks for documenting the story.

[@martyngasson7003]

Thank you Martin and Roy, for documenting the life of this mill being to end, generations to come can now see what happened to this mill and many others like it after their working life is done, again thank you.

[@taxalterror]

Nice one Martin. fantastically done, it's so sad, how all our industries have been sold off to keep mainly shareholders happy to sell and reinfest abroad, and our Country is going down the pan,, I hate what is happening to local villages, getting pushed out with all the new estates that are put up, priced out for local people, but there are a handful affordable houses! The countryside is going down the pan too. Thanks for all your hard work you do, I love the Mechanical industry I was brought up as a Millwright engineer!! Cheers.

[@jetsons101]

Martin, it sad to see so much manufacturing leave, your right that Engine Room was over the top when new (14:45). Not a happy watch but a still a great watch. Thanks for keeping your local and regional history alive through your videos.

[@davidbing4578]

Sad but informative video Martin. Thanks

[@thedoc1210]

1:34 those supporting columns are gorgeous

[@masicka146]

Very good i love how some are still here with today

[@andrewreynolds4949]

That demolition was well done, it came straight down

[@TerryLawrence001]

My mind flashes back to the documentary and videos of Fred Dibnah, Steeple Jack. 🙂 He used to knock down the smaller ones with a sledge hammer and fire. He climbed the giant ones, free climbing, and hand built the scaffold to do repairs on them.

[@HM2SGT]

*Even in Texas, we've heard of Fred Dibnah* 🙂👍

[@nixtax3526]

Classic Sunday night Zero. Sad to see it all gone now but at least it lives on here

[@MartinZero]

Cheers Nix

[@MultiMills1]

As with other people I had the opportunity to go inside this chimney, the draught from the flue was so strong I had to use a tripod to photograph inside upwards. I believe the chimney was only 5 courses of brickwork thick at the bottom which explains why Stanley Graham said it fell in a telescopic fashion in a short space on account of it losing its integrity, and said also very dangerous.

[@leedavies3629]

Sad when I was a kid in da 70. I ust to see chimneys com down every other week in Oldham Nice one Lads 🙂✌️

[@judgedread-q4t]

Great video Martin and Roy. She was ready to come down, not much holding it together really.

[@allanthomas-wc8ff]

Worked in a few mills late 60's and early 70's around Oldham and Shaw. I was at the time an apprentice pipefitter and the firm I worked for was installing sprinklers in the mills. thinking now, the mills were then on borrowed time and the last thing they needed was the cost of installing sprinklers. One thing to remember back then was always take your lunch with you when working in and around Oldham, the Wakes week, all businesses, mills, garages in fact virtually anywhere where people were employed closed.They were closed for 2 weeks, usually last week of July and first week of August, that meant every shop, chippy and sandwich shop was closed. If you didn't take your lunch with you, you went hungry. Lesson learnt the hard and hungry way.

[@sus8e462]

Great telling of it's history and it's life & death... I'm sure I'm not the only one who teared up--and I only knew it vicariously! Hope good things take over where it had stood & bits of its tiles & bricks have been saved!

[@malcolmrichardson3881]

Great stuff! You wonder what Fred Dibnah would have made of that - and the drama and suspense.

[@whiskeycook3323]

Great historical video!

[@terryalmond8777]

Back with a bang Mr M ,ace vid.

[@hond654]

14:18 that Victorian tiling work in the engine room - I wish we could that quality of engineering work environment nowadays.

[@fishman494]

Another excellent video, well done

[@philtucker1224]

That looked like a very tidy drop! 👍👏

[@ralphwest8156]

Wonderful words and photography ...very saddening at the end'

[@JemTheWire]

Thank you once again Martin. Another fantastic, but sad video. It’s is your dedication to history and research that preserves, all be it on digital form, our industrial past.

[@TheLowerman]

Great video, Martin!

[@elainemclelland5121]

To quote Meatloaf "you took the words right of my mouth " over the tiles in the engine room. They were so beautiful. That's the thing about old buildings, time and effort were put into architecture, not like the crappy things that are built today. Had it been left to stand, I bet the chimney would have out-lived whatever they put on there now.

[@stever1053]

I grew up in Buckinghamshire and along the river Wye there were many paper mills and they also had their chimneys my father worked in one of the mills and I had the chance to go inside a chimney and look up it, wow, it was amazing. Just thinking of what the kids of today have missed, not the smog and soot but the amazing engineering. Fred Dibnah and his fellow steeple jacks certainly had their work cut out maintaining these structures, not to mention nerves of steel. At one place I worked at guy's were reinforcing one with steel bands, two brothers, there used to be three of them but one fell down the inside of one. Two days later the remaining brothers had to go back to the top before they lost their nerve. Sad story. Wonder how long to build it and how many bricks there were, seconds to demolish. Can't help but think of L.S Lowry the artist and all of the chimney's in his paintings. Thanks guy's.

[@garyhinson3876]

thanks, so sad, remember back in the late 1970's seeing the chimneys of the Black Country disappear one by one, until there was one left

[@lukeshenton8772]

Finally got round to watching it!!

[@MartinZero]

Morrisons ?

[@91827364557]

this was one of my childhood playgrounds as a kid in the 80s

[@AmandaBrown-nu7wo]

Martin,sad video but beautifully done xx

[@thesimulatorguy4248]

In Fred We Trust. If you know you know

[@ChelseaSierraK.]

Martin, I remember watching your videos of this building (at the time they were put up), Idk why, but it was sad when they started demolishing, and now with todays' video of the last piece coming down, it's even more saddening. 😢 You could tell by all the stress cracks in the chimney, that it was unstable and needed to be brought down before it came down on its' own.

[@Dave64track]

A really interesting video I love these old mills and find it quite sad when they are just torn down and the chimney down in seconds. It's makes me think of all the time and effort put into building these chimneys brick by brick all by hand, it's pretty amazing really when you think how many bricks are in a Mill and Chimney and how they stood the test of time. Thanks for capturing this historical moment on videos for generations to watch in the future. Well done guys.

[@smalcolmbrown]

Thanks :)

[@marshaktboy]

This was almost like an execution 😢 Great video again Martin

[@jeffjones6107]

Great video, Martin 👍

[@Mr_Reaper]

Impressive, but I, as I'm sure others do, much prefer Fred's approach - Cheers for the Video Martin. Loved the way you ended it too

[@Gardner0871public]

A twofer! I get Martin and Dibnah in the same video? I double-like that.

[@charlesemerson6763]

What a shame. A credit to the Edwardian bricklayers skills.

[@chrislynch924]

Thanks for the video, having passed the mill several times and seeing its gradual demise.. feeling a sense of loss never seeing it again.😢

[@Wedgedoow]

Loved the video, end of an era very apt. Nice to see a bit of the master steeplejack, thanks for posting.

[@thorstenh.5588]

Its so sad to see that industrial buildings are still destroyed. I love this special architecture. Its so much better as the actually buildings. At that time the builder ere proud about their company and liked to show it. Today the buildings are like smaller or bigger boxes.

[@shirleylynch7529]

Excellent video. So well documented. Amazing how it fell in seconds but very sad to watch. Well done Martin. A masterpiece without doubt. You have encaptured it for all time.

[@bettyprice6316]

Oh my gosh! I used to pass there all the time on my way to Stalybridge.

[@redlock4004]

Bruce Cockburn sang "Everything that exists in time, runs out of time some day". Mighty Trucks of Midnight.

[@nikanikasavina]

Martin, thank you for documenting the history of Manchester! History that, unfortunately, is being lost 😞

[@terryansell6641]

So interesting this video thank you