Volcrepe ltd.
Click To Expand
Volcrepe ltd. Was formed in 1931 and started its beginnings manufacturing rubber solings for footwear, in its later years it began producing specialist equipment to the Ministry Of Defence including Gas Masks for horses and the Home Guard as well as radio equipment.
In the 1950s the company whilst still producing footwear soling concentrated its efforts into cellular rubbers which it pioneered.
The comapny now produces rubbers for the aviation industry, oil, automobile, domestic and communications industries also.
The factory closed around 6-7 years ago.
As part of a tour of Derbyshire this place was second on our list of sites to visit, courtesy of The New Mendoza.
The site is in two sections with a road dividing it, the only connecting point is a walkway high above the road with the company logo proudly painted on it, although now some what faded and decayed.
Inside was relativley bare but there was still some odd bits of machinery scattered about which was very interesting as well as a fantastic stained glass window on one of the upper levels.
What was nice to see upon entering this site was how undamaged it was, there is no signs of vandalism at all, the majority of the machinery is now gone but there are a few heavy pieces still lying around.
Upstairs the floors are in various stages of natural decay, some being totally bare but some do still contain samples and swatches of the factories products.
Paperwork still litters some of the offices on the upper levels with some records and memos dating right back to the 1970s.
Its always nice to find decent sites that are undamaged but its even nicer when you find paper work and period pices still in situ.
Apart from the obvious items of major value being removed long ago the site still holds some amazing little artifacts that illustrate its past.
Whilst exploring here Saul_Son and Romanian 1 found an old map of the place from WWII showing the old air raid shelters for the employees, sadly though the shelters sit where the canteen is now with no signs they ever existed.
Date : August 2007 : Location : Derbyshire : Explorers : Havoc : The New Mendoza : Dodgerat : Romanian1 : Lawrence : Saul_Son : Gibbo
