|
|
Riddings corn mills were built in 1877 by James Oakes and named after James and his wife, Sarah. The mills ceased working in 1927. In 1963 they were gutted by fire, listed as unsafe and were subsequently demolished. |
|
Above: Riddings Mills - Approx 1890 -When Sarah's sails had been removed and a steam engine substituted because one windmill had robbed the other of wind. In 1918 James' sails were removed along with the steam plant and a 24 horsepower oil engine was then used to drive both mills. |
|
|
|
|
|
Above: - Aerial views with Greenhills Lane front left |
|
|
The Tower Mills on Greenhills Lane were, at one time, a well known
local landmark. Built in 1877, they were named after their founder
owner James Oakes and his wife Sarah. Built in brick with two foot
thick walls they stood 90 feet high. They were divided into eight storeys
with supporting timbers 1 foot thick, topped by a revolving wooden cap.
Each mill's wooden cap housed a cast iron sail shaft 13 inches in
diameter, weighing 3 tonnes and carrying six sails. The iron wheels
below were fitted with wooden gearing for quiet running. The cost of
building each mill was £17,000.
The mills never worked successfully together, one robbing the other of wind, so Sarah's sails were later removed (poor girl) and a steam engine fitted to turn her machinery. Wheat from James Oakes' estates was milled to produce flour for human consumption as well as grain for animal feed. The railway track running through the nearby ironworks provided transport links. By 1918, James' sails had also been removed and Sarah's steam engine was replaced by a 24 H.P. oil driven engine. In September 1948 Deosan Ltd bought the mills but only used them for storage. For a period of time before this the mills were owned by the national Coal Board. On the night of the 29th Jan 1963 the mills were destroyed by fire and demolished shortly afterwards. James and Sarah were erected on the site of a Post Mill built in 1823 previously owned by John Cressy Hall of Alfreton. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Newspaper Article - Thursday 29th Dec 1949. 'Alfreton
& Ripley Gossip - Changed Times for Windmills' 'The metal vanes weighing nearly six tonnes on one of the Riddings Windmills, which have been idle for 20 years will topple from the top of the 100 foot structure in the next fortnight and bury themselves hub deep in the ground. It will be the last stage in the dismantling of the milling machinery in the two windmills. They were purchased a year ago along with several acres of land by Deosan Ltd, which has a chemical factory nearby. The mills have been used as storage space but now the firm wants to accommodate working plant in at least one of them. In the past few weeks, Messrs W Bush & Son, scrap metal merchants of Alfreton, have dismantled some 30 tons of metal machinery from the first of the mills, which has seven floors. each with its subsidiary milling apparatus driven from a central shaft which extended up the centre of the mill. All the machinery was removed, including the vanes on the outside of the mill, except for a large cog wheel which forms a kind of 'coping stone' at the top of the mill. Scaffolding 90 feet high is to be erected in the floorless second mill to reach the machinery at top of the building. About seven tons of metal are expected to be taken out of this mill. Mr D.E. Coleman, general manager of Deosan Ltd explained that it was intended to repair floors in the first windmill and install working plant. The building of floors into the second mill so that production could be further increased would be considered later.' |
|
|
Above & Below: - The vertical steam engine installed at Riddings Mills to drive Sarah after her sails had been removed. |
|
|
|
|
|
Above: Mr Jim Bush (Right) who was in charge of operations, inspects the four tons casting, which half buried itself in the ground. |
Newspaper Article - Feb 1950 - 'Riddings Windmill
Loses its Sail'
'The cast-iron vanes, weighing more than four tons, on one of the Riddings windmills, toppled from the 100ft. high structure on Tuesday and buried itself hub deep in the ground. It was the last stage in the dismantling of the milling machinery in the two windmills. In the past few weeks Messrs W. Bush and son scrap metal merchants of Alfreton have dismantled approximately 30 toms of machinery from the first of the mills, which were purchased about a year ago by Deosan Ltd which has a chemical factory nearby. the firm has now installed working plant in the first of the two mills which until recently had subsidiary milling apparatus, driven from a central shaft, on each of its seven floors. All the machinery was removed, including the vanes on the outside of the mill. Scaffolding 90ft high was erected in the floorless second mill to reach the machinery at the top of the structure. After a warning shout from the top of the building the mass of metal hurtled to the ground. The fall had been calculated so accurately that a group of adjoining outbuildings were missed by inches.'
|
|
Newspaper Article - 29th January 1963 - 'Riddings
Mill Gutted by Fire' 'Fire destroyed a mill used as a storehouse and considerable stock at the Riddings Works of Diversey, yesterday. Firemen from five stations fought the flames, which were shooting through the roof, and high into the air. In the mill were raw materials and detergents. Buildings nearby caught fire and were badly damaged. The fire was seen by a night watchman. The cause is not yet known. Said Mrs E.G. Matthey, secretary to the works manager, "We have sufficient stock to carry on business. Production will be back to normal in about two weeks." The two mills at Riddings are well known local landmarks. They have been up about 100 years. There were objections from local people recently when it was suggested that the mills be pulled down. But now, the mill that was burned may have to be demolished on safety grounds. |
Above: 'Looking down at the premises of Diversey (UK) Mill Site, which was damaged by fire yesterday.' |
|
Newspaper Article - 29th Jan 1963 - 'Landmark Gutted in Spectacular Blaze' - 'Pillar of Flame Reduces Mill to a Shell' A 70 FOOT-HIGH pillar of flame - described by eye witnesses as "just like a giant torch" - was seen for several miles around, when fire gutted one of the twin mills at Riddings early on Tuesday morning. About 30 fireman from Ripley, Alfreton, Eastwood and Sutton-in-Ashfield, battled for several hours to control the blaze, which reduced the 90 year old landmark to a shell and also destroyed much of the interior of adjoining building. The fire was discovered by a night watchman who roused residents whose property adjoins the building. Within minutes, the whole mill was ablaze, and flames were pouring through windows, and through the dome at the top of the mill. Firemen were soon on the scene, but they could do little to save the building. The blaze was eventually brought under control and firemen remained on the scene for the rest of the day. The mill - named "Sarah" after a member of the Oakes family - was owned by Deosan Ltd, a chemical manufacturing form, and was used for storage and production purposes. Destroyed were a large quantity of detergents and raw materials, but officials of the firm were optimistic that production would be back to normal within a fortnight. The other mill - "James" - was undamaged by the fire. |
|
|
|
Left: The fire ravaged store houses adjoining the burnt out mill, viewed from "James," the other mill, which escaped damage. |
|
Late on Tuesday afternoon while fire prevention officers
were meeting C.I.D. Officers in an attempt to solve the mystery of what
caused the fire, officials of the firm were still unable to estimate the
loss. Local residents described the blaze as "like a cupola." One
told our reporter: "It was a terrible sight". Mrs Enid Lamb, of James
Street, Leabrooks, said that the scene was very frightening.
The mills hit the headlines recently when Deosan Ltd wrote to Alfreton U.D.C. asking if they had any objections to the firm demolishing the landmarks. The council said "No." As yet the future of 'Sarah' has not yet been decided. Whether the remains of the mill, which has walls about two feet thick, will be demolished or not, depends upon discussions to take place shortly. Footnote: Only a matter of hours before the fire started, Riddings people were being interviewed by a BBC reporter - about their opinions on the demolition threat to the mills. The interviews were for the Midland Radio Programme 'Shire Talk.'
|
|
 |
|
|
Was the cause of this terrific blaze ever discovered ? |
|
