- Joined
- Aug 21, 2019
- Messages
- 13
- Reaction score
- 20
- Points
- 3
The Explore
A friend of mine suggested I check out this building since they had sailed past it many times on the river and knew I was into exploring. I had a quick look to assess the chances of getting inside and what clothes & equipment would be required. I had no interest in Googling before hand just as Christopher Columbus didn't Google before his adventures. I returned a few days later and ignoring the standard "do not explore alone" advice entered the grounds. With a busy dock road at the front of the building I always stayed to the rear. The only used building with any view of this area is a clinic but it's only partial so mostly you don't have to worry. An initial attempt to gain entry failed because an open window only lead to a 15 foot drop. After exploring other (unrelated?) abandoned buildings in the grounds I made another attempt to get into the main building. This time I was successful though I had wasted a lot of time and only had an hour or so day light left.
There seemed to be three basic types of damage.
1. Removal of equipment such as large silos.
2. General decay of wood due to dampness, pigeons etc
3. Vandalism and theft of metal or other materials.
Some floors were concrete, some metal and some wood. The wooden ones were obviously the riskiest with holes in places. It was interesting to see some of the old posters and advertising material for a company I'd grown up knowing. On the ground floor was a brewery engine which resembles a steam engine without the wheels. This is used to pump liquid around (where gravity could not be used) and various other tasks like moving cranes etc. Above several large rooms there are smaller ones which I assume were offices. Accessing a roof was pretty easy. I should point out at this stage that for me the most important thing is making a video my followers will like and also one that comprehensively covers where I went (for me). I know this is generally not supported here but hopefully it's accepted within my whole contribution.
Anyone watching the video will see that I bashed my head on a girder which was cunningly hiding a foot or so further than a low door way which you duck under. No more serious than what you'd get having a kick about with mates on a Saturday and I really didn't care. Sure I couldn't have laid unconscious on my own but it's a risk I'll take. I really don't want some idiot getting in my way or distracting me when I need to concentrate (like ducking under a door way ha ha).
Cameras used- Sony DSC-WX350 mostly for photos and Samsung Gear 360 (2016) for video. I seldom do 360 stuff now especially since one lens is a bit scratched. I just use the other lens for 180 deg GoPro style footage. The wide angle means you really need a rig of three torches which I didn't take this trip but it's good in semi low light.
History
The old Tolley Cobbold Brewery building in Ipswich was a tower brewery which used gravity where possible to move the brew liquid through the different processes. It was built in 1896 though there had been a brewery at the location since 1746. The current building stopped being used in 2002. In 2013 there were talks about converting it into a mixture of flats, supermarket and for leisure and business use. In 2016 this was simplified to just flats and outline planning permission was granted. Nothing happened though and in summer 2019 the property was sold to an unknown buyer with unknown plans for it. It's fairly clear that the property is no longer maintained or properly secured. Unless something changes I fear this will be another front page fire story in the Ipswich Evening Star.
A friend of mine suggested I check out this building since they had sailed past it many times on the river and knew I was into exploring. I had a quick look to assess the chances of getting inside and what clothes & equipment would be required. I had no interest in Googling before hand just as Christopher Columbus didn't Google before his adventures. I returned a few days later and ignoring the standard "do not explore alone" advice entered the grounds. With a busy dock road at the front of the building I always stayed to the rear. The only used building with any view of this area is a clinic but it's only partial so mostly you don't have to worry. An initial attempt to gain entry failed because an open window only lead to a 15 foot drop. After exploring other (unrelated?) abandoned buildings in the grounds I made another attempt to get into the main building. This time I was successful though I had wasted a lot of time and only had an hour or so day light left.
There seemed to be three basic types of damage.
1. Removal of equipment such as large silos.
2. General decay of wood due to dampness, pigeons etc
3. Vandalism and theft of metal or other materials.
Some floors were concrete, some metal and some wood. The wooden ones were obviously the riskiest with holes in places. It was interesting to see some of the old posters and advertising material for a company I'd grown up knowing. On the ground floor was a brewery engine which resembles a steam engine without the wheels. This is used to pump liquid around (where gravity could not be used) and various other tasks like moving cranes etc. Above several large rooms there are smaller ones which I assume were offices. Accessing a roof was pretty easy. I should point out at this stage that for me the most important thing is making a video my followers will like and also one that comprehensively covers where I went (for me). I know this is generally not supported here but hopefully it's accepted within my whole contribution.
Anyone watching the video will see that I bashed my head on a girder which was cunningly hiding a foot or so further than a low door way which you duck under. No more serious than what you'd get having a kick about with mates on a Saturday and I really didn't care. Sure I couldn't have laid unconscious on my own but it's a risk I'll take. I really don't want some idiot getting in my way or distracting me when I need to concentrate (like ducking under a door way ha ha).
Cameras used- Sony DSC-WX350 mostly for photos and Samsung Gear 360 (2016) for video. I seldom do 360 stuff now especially since one lens is a bit scratched. I just use the other lens for 180 deg GoPro style footage. The wide angle means you really need a rig of three torches which I didn't take this trip but it's good in semi low light.
History
The old Tolley Cobbold Brewery building in Ipswich was a tower brewery which used gravity where possible to move the brew liquid through the different processes. It was built in 1896 though there had been a brewery at the location since 1746. The current building stopped being used in 2002. In 2013 there were talks about converting it into a mixture of flats, supermarket and for leisure and business use. In 2016 this was simplified to just flats and outline planning permission was granted. Nothing happened though and in summer 2019 the property was sold to an unknown buyer with unknown plans for it. It's fairly clear that the property is no longer maintained or properly secured. Unless something changes I fear this will be another front page fire story in the Ipswich Evening Star.
Cheers for the update
