Nearly 11 hours of road tripping.
Nearly six mills, ruins and other abandonments.
Nearly 30 degree (Celsius).
Nearly heat-stroke.
Although originally christened the 'Mill Madness Tour', a devious route devised by neX , it became known as the 'Ice Tea Tour' due to the copious volumes of this cool tasty beverage consumed by yours truly. As neX stated, "a drink of champions, and the only true warm-weather coffee substitute".The numerous stops, in chronological order of exploration, were;
* Cataract Deagle Hydro Ruins,
* Boston Mills Cottages,
* Cheltenham Badlands,
* Cheltenham (Interprovincial) Brickworks,
* Barber Paper Mill (Provincial Papers),
* Harris Woolen Mill, and
* Hortop Mill.
The crew (neX, JuicyFruitKisses and CopySix) were skunked at Cataract due to restrictive access and road construction, denied access at the Hortop Mill due to tight boarding but were successful at the remaining locations. The Cheltenham Badlands and Brickworks were covered off in the previous post.
Harris Woolen Mill
Located in Rockwood, Ontario (just north-east of Guelph), this solid limestone mill was constructed by the Harris brothers on the banks of the the Eramosa River in 1884. An earlier wooden mill, built in 1867 burned down.The mill produced tweed, knitted underwear, flannelette (a cheap flannel kock-off), bleached cotton, yarn, shirts and sheets. Large volumes of blankets were also produced here for the Canadian army during the Great War of 1915 to 1918. The mill was one of the largest in the area and had employed approximately 75 workers.
As a result of the depression and stiff competition from larger mills, the Harris Mill closed up shop in 1933. The Grand River Conservation Authority acquired the mill from the Harris family in 1959 but the mill burned down in 1967 leaving only the present stone ruins. The conservation authority has preserved the ruins and it has become a very popular location for tourists, photographers, movie & advertisement producers, and wedding shoots.
Everton Mill
Constructed in 1865 on the banks of the Eramosa River in Everton, this large, three-storey flour and grist mill was acquired by Henry Hortop Jr. in 1874. The Mill remained in the Hortop family for three generations at which time it was acquired by the Grand River Conservation Authority.The structure's exterior was in excellent condition, considering its age, and was not scarred with graffiti from a$$-clown vandals. The original mill stone is mounted and displayed near the road.
While planning this leg of the trip, I had consulted fellow explorer phrenzee who had a successful trip here. Unfortunately, the crew was denied any interior photographs as it was tightly boarded with the exception of a few limited glimpses through small holes in the boarding.
This brings us to a tip I wish to share with any novice urban explorer. I will not bore you with tedious text but have present this nugget of knowlege within the video below . . .
Happy & Safe Exploring !
