This mill was one of the most interesting you've done and for a demolished building there is an incredible amount still standing. Keep up the good work. God bless

Martin!! Watching from my hospital bed...with my headphones on...its almost like I was transported up to Mellor Mill and was inside the tunnels with you. Sounds amazing !! I think this one will go down as one of the Martin Zero classics...rivers, mills, water wheels, tunnels, cool music....brew and biscuits...😂 . A great way to have my mind taken off my current situation for a while and spend some time with my mates in the mud😁 all the best and keep doing what you do!! Its fun , educational and fascinating. Lee from Wiltshire , UK...(but still a Manchunian at heart)

The man that taught me carpet installing was George Tipping from Manchester. His mother worked in one of those cotton mills. This is a small world. She spent her last years in Wales in that town with the longest name Thanks man.

We used to play in those tunnels as kids, late 70's early 80's. Waterloo was our favourite. The end of it was backfilled (as In the video) back then , we used to go down the small tunnel to the right (first half carved through the bed rock, 2nd half man made using stone. Once in the shaft we would hitch our way up using the sides of the shaft/Well and you would exit with a stream at eye level. Great times. They've really exposed a lot since those days and no steel gates to prevent you from exploring!

Great documentary Martin. My family came from Marple Bridge, Low Lea Road (modern spelling), Lee cottage which is close to the Mellor Mill site. Lee cottage was originally built for Samuel Oldknow and I believe his fiancée. It later became the property of the Arkwright family and was split into two cottages and rented to two local families My paternal grandfather bought Lee cottage from Captain Richard Arkwright in 1925 for about £500. Lee Farm cottage was then the home of the Hudson family. Oldknow housed his apprentices in a cottage in Marple Bridge known locally as the orphans house.

Martin, I continue to be amazed how you take the viewer(s) from one point of interest to another with such skill. Thank you for another great video! I do have one question. Will James ever remember to bring a spoon? 😂

When my mother was alive and at 19 years old, she used to work in a cotton mill when she lived in Salford. She used to tell me about the conditions of work in the mills and that was 150 odd years later and they were poor then. I'd love to find out where the mill was where she worked but it will be long gone now. Great video guy's and so informative as ever.

Cherry Bakewells and COOP ones at that. Got a pack for friends on the 6th which was my 63rd Birthday. Loved your explor of the mill and tunnels. Went to the upper Goyt 69 70 when they began minibuses in the area, A lovely time for all getting us out of the towns. Petrol at 30 p a gallon... Them were the days. David and Lily.

Martin, fantastic teamwork, top notch. Just thinking here: how much power was loss thru the friction of the all the various gears, belts, vertical and horizontal driveshaft bearings, then add the power loss from each spinning machine internal friction and one water wheel still had power left over to do the work, amazing the power of falling water..... Thanks for the cross section view of the mill and water wheel, it really helped tell the story. The infrastructure it took to power the mill is quite involved. Thank you for all you do for us the viewers.....

Fascinating . . . it's hard to imagine all the engineering and back breaking labor it took for the miners and stoneworkers to build the infrastructure and carve out all those tunnels that STILL REMAIN! It's hard to comprehend the toll the industrial age took on those who made it happen. I truly respect the laborers left with broken bodies and the many women and child mill workers who suffered and met an early death.

From memory Oldknow was a silk merchant in Manchester before building the mill, I watched them excavate the mill several years ago and it was amazing to watch it come alive again. I believe he had an interest in the peak forest canal to move his goods to Manchester, he was a fighter but I think Arkwright was a very shrewd man ! Thanks for the video top notch as usual 👍

A gem of an episode Martin. So many tunnels ..so little time to get through them all. This site and your exploration of it shows how industrious our forebears were. It must have been an incredible sight to see those waterwheels in action let alone the machinery in the Mill. Thanks for bringing it to life guys.👌👍

The exit tunnel from the Waterloo wheel goes under the river goyt and into the opposite hill side, it exits further down stream near Marple bridge where the rock is harder, there are a few inspection tunnels along the hill side you can see ( near the garden house ). Good video I spent lots of time down hear before they excavated the ruins. There was apparently a tunnel from the apprentice house to the mill, and from his house to the mill :)

I was the archaeogical officer for the Mellor Mill excavations. It was funded by the HLF in a joint project with Canal & River Trust, which included the aquaduct

Martin turns up on site, switches the camera on, and utters the immortal words, 'I don't know what that is.' Absolute classic. Yet another great video. Thank you.

Wow Martin this video has shot up to one of my faves. Some fantastic stonework there. Tunnel heaven I think. Thanks so much really enjoyed hearing about the mill. Thanks so much for taking me along. Please stay safe and take care

As you say - WOW!!!!! All those tunnels each one a different construction, cracking explore👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 Will someone tie a teaspoon to James!!! Well done Roy the Fearless!!!!

The length of the history of the UK is amazing; sitting here in Canada(1867). You show a notice from 1797. Thanks for your efforts Martin.

Another facinating relic from the early industrial revolution in our area, the cradle of modern industry, those trips up those tunnels scare me for your safety. Once again the personality of James Is gaining prominence, a biography will soon be required for the newest you tube star!.

Every time I talk to friends about how much joy KZfaq gives me, instead of cable tv, your channel is always being mentioned as my favorite, and one of the Wain reason why KZfaq, for me, is so rewarding. Thanks to you and everyone else involved. 🤗🤗

Yet another great video. I don't want to take anything away from 'Time Team' but their programmes look at what 'might have been' using geo-phys and the like. Yes, they are very interesting and informative, but your videos are more relatable because they deal with structures that have left a visible footprint (like foundations, tunnels and the like) and are of more recent industrial heritage which a lot of us can relate to. Plus I love the banter with your 'team' of like minded 'explorers'. Thanks to you, had a good day out at 'Nob End' and this is another to add to my list. Keep up the good work.

An excellent video Martin. Well done the lads. A sad end to an amazing building.

Great video i only live a couple of miles from there I never new there was so many tunnels marple is steeped in history the Lyme kilns are worth a visit Thanks for visiting Marple comeback soon enjoyed the one you did at the underbanks in Stockport as well stay safe .and Thanks again

That was yet another first class piece of work from the Martin team. Do you think that these were `cut and cover` tunnels as the ground appears to be shale which would be very hard to support. The egg shaped tunnel looks like a sewer with the narrow channel at the bottom to keep the water flowing fast to prevent blockages.

Your journeys get more incredible! Thanks to you and your crew to bring us these wonderful videos!

Another brilliant video Martin and the gang, I was looking forward to this video after we finished up chatting to you at the Costa coffee in Marple, when you had pre-visited the place, Let me tell everyone these guys are just as pleasant and amusing as they are on the videos, One of my favourite channels.

Mellor Mill is certainly a special building, you rarely see it. Another great vlog, interesting piece of history.

That’s some crew you got with you on this adventure, A lot of biscuits for James to carry haha, Great tour of this grand old mill and the tunnels.

Great way to start my Sunday! Thanks for the video Martin

Thank you Martin. You and James are my time machine.😊😊😊

What a fantastic place to explore, thanks loads, this means that I don't have to get dirty and drive loads of miles, you guys do it for me every week!

Fascinating once again Martin and gang. This is the reason I so look forward to your videos. I've never used the wild garlic leaves, I always use the flowers.

What an exemplary exploration, thank you for all your efforts to chronicle this old, mill.

Great episode! Loved the history lesson and detailed technical explanation!

Big thanks, guys Incredible Video. The amount of work to construct all the tunnels & waterways is just mind-blowing.

An amazing multi-faceted explore again Martin! A tremendous turmoil of tunnels!

Brilliant episode again Martin, thank you to you and the team. I first stumbled across these tunnels nearly 40 years ago on a bike ride with a mate. We always said we'd come back and explore further, we never did, no need to now, fascinating.

We used to play in the tunnels back in the 60's. Great memories.

That was another incredible story Martin, thank you so much.

i always get so happy when i see the tiny microbus and the tiny martin. of course, the rest is amazing too!

Another brilliant vid Martin. Love the way you insist on exploring the nooks and crannies lest you miss something interesting…..fantastic stuff!

Tunnels, mud, spiders and Cherry Bakewells. Cracking episode. Well done.

That brew . Give James a promotion I wished I was there. Both water wheels were breast wheels.

Love the mystery and imagination your videos like this spark!! I yearn to see and hear and smell the original place! Looks like it was incredible! The size of the water wheels! Wow 😱

Amazing video showing the determination that the pioneers of industry had! Them's Ramps! They're great! Fry 'um in butter!

Thank you Martin . Your videos are pure gold . Your team reminds me of The Wind in the Willows . You are Badger. HA HA HA.

Another fascinating and well produced video. Thank you, Sir!!!

Your best video yet! Absolutely fascinating! Very sad how people and children were exploited ("I owe my soul to the company store") in those days by the likes of Oldknow but exploitation had not disappeared in the early 1900s. My Father and his sister were "part timers" which meant that, at the age of about 12, they went to school for half a day and worked in the mill for the other half a day alternating weekly between mornings and afternoons. I was born in Oldham but have lived most of my life in Australia, apart from a visit in 1962/63. I pride myself as being a proper Oldham lad having had two school holiday jobs in cotton mills in Oldham and Royton. At the Delta Mill in Royton, I was taken to see the engine room. The mill was, by then, powered by electricity and only a shadow of its former self. The driving wheel was gone but the wheel pit was an indicator of how big it had been and how the shafts had been driven on each floor.

Those waterwheels must have been a sight to see when they were built, absolutely huge.

Thanks for all your work on the research, filming and editing of this film. It's opened up a whole new world for me as all I've ever done is trundle round on the surface. So glad you managed to make the film without any injuries to yourselves.

I think this explore is among one of your very best. What a fantastic site!

Still going through your older videos and the content here for a mill was brilliant. Fascinating tunnels and waterwheels.

Oh how we have gone backwards , kids working all day sounds great. 2 weeks of Easter kids holidays now. thanks Martin great history and belting video again

very interesting place, thank you for sharing it with us

Hi Martin - really interesting. Up to a couple of years ago, I lived at Bottoms Hall just up the road from the Mill site. This was the Apprentice House where many of the child workers lived. In the garden there was a tunnel that allowed the children to walk to the mill without encountering unsavoury types allegedly. The tunnel is blocked after 5 or 6 m but would have been great to understand it's full route. I useful it to store fire wood!

Hi Martin. Another beauty and thanks to the folks who dug all of that out. Glad you mentioned the all suffering crew this time. Was that a model or a painting of the mill and manor house. It looked like shot from a 1930s or 40s movie when they used models to show scenes like that. This industry is yet another example of why the British Empire was so mighty when you have people like these who build and engineer all of that in the 1700 to 1800s. Cheers guys keep up the good work.

What an amazing place. Full of history and such a wondrous adventure you too us on. Well done!

Hi Martin. For some time I've wanted to say: Your videos are always brilliant; you spotting & exploring tunnels & culverts & passionately plotting lost rivers etc. with friends has kept me entertained for hours. You have an excellent presenting 'stance' that makes your videos superior to any others I've found. Always warm, fun & investigative & informative too. Not many others are so engaging, thoughtful & 'viewer-considerate' as yourself. I literally feel excited for your next post, your channel is better than tv👍 Anyway... So here you point out extra tunnels @ the Waterloo wheel pit. I am guessing they souced extra water from elsewhere when available, especially the one with a side tunnel that then goes straight up at its end; I noticed the edges of a former sluice gate at its opening when you were stood up inside there. If there were so many reserves (ponds) of water perhaps they tapped into them & or any overflow water to get as much power as possible out of the waters head, for the later wheel addition. Any attempt would have been cheaper than succumbing to an exspensive steam engine, which they did in the end. Like many of your videos I'd have enjoyed exploring the areas with you (as long as James brings a spoon!)... I love Cherry Bakewell's, so no competition there haha. Many thanks again 👍

Great vid as usual Martin. You mentioned Time Team at the start of the video, I've just finished watching the second new Time Team dig. For those who are fans and didn't know, the new digs are available on YT.

When younger and being from New Mills near Marple I used to mountain bike and walk around the Roman Lakes. An amazing and beautiful area. Another informative and amazing video. Amazing work Martin and friends.

You managed to create a living story out of a few stones and tunnels well done! Thank you.

What can I say... Wow you've done it again. What a remarkable place - and video. Brilliant. Cheers

Another amazing video Martin :) It's always such a shame to see these once grand and productive structures reduced to mere rubble. At least this particular site had all of those fantastic tunnels to explore! :)

I know of the village Mellor, but I never knew of this mill, Martyn. Obviously it was quite a huge place, but the amount of tunnels associated with it was truly staggering, and mostly constructed of dry stone. An excellent video with a good team and all. Many thanks.

Fantastically interesting video, Martin. Really enjoyed it. Thank you! And James knowing about wild garlic (Ramsons)? Mind blown. He obviously watches Atomic Shrimp's videos.

Excellent explore Martin, the stone arch work in the tunnels reminds me of the old lead mines in the north pennines.

Fantastic video guys, so much to see, wish I could do this site but sadly I can't but watching you guys do it and show what is still out there. Many thanks, keep the videos coming.

What an incredible explore. Absolutely brilliant. Well done. Loved the end when you all in river. Out takes funny. Fabulous filming and commentary.

Thoroughly enjoyed that one Martin 👍

Perfect timing! Kids were doing homework today about Samuel Oldknow, and we really appreciate this unique exploration into all the tunnels and waterworks of this once magnificent mill!

Absolutely fascinating, thank you so much for making these amazing vlogs

Fantastic find , really enjoyed that , amazing how you get so much in about the place , i have visited the place myself but never knew there was so much i had not seen thanks once again you are a great team

The Mill that just keeps on giving... Great video.

hi , i was born in marple , i do believe , that oldknow was very good to his employees and did everything he could to ensure their lives were as pleasant as possible in that era , he did have a building as a living quarter’s for the children and women , and they would be travel from this building to the mill through these tunnels , we were all told as young children to keep away from these tunnels as they ran for miles. we were always told of our history .

A brilliant video sir! Great location with so much to offer. You bring history alive. So well done. I recon you could do a great TV series with all of the material you have.

You are so lucky to have these old tunnels around and be able to explore them. It makes a fantastic video Martin. 👍

Keep these coming brilliant and such a great team 👍👍👍👍👍 from northern Ireland ☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️

Awesome! Wasn't expecting a new video! Last time i came this early, i wound up with another child.

Such amazing work on this! Loved the outtakes XD

What a brilliant video from you and the Gang. That place is amazing with all the underlying facts you told us about the place with not a stone unturned. Wow all those tunnels every where. Must have been quite a site back in the day as the old photo's showed us. You can imagine that place on fire with all the wooded floors etc just collapsing along with the roof. Then you think of all those people who was working in that mill now have no jobs to go too. Not great jobs but that's the sort of jobs people did back in the day quite sad really. Its good that it's getting preserved and people can get to see some of the remains at last. Thanks for sharing these videos and stay safe.

I'm feeling abit 'W💙W' by this video. Thank you Martin and team. 😊

As ever a brilliant video! Thanks.

Another absolutely outstanding and very informative video, thank you to you & your team for doing this for us.

Another fantastic programme!

Fantastic video, thank you guys !

One of your best vids, thanks Martin

Thanks Martin and Team, Great Video

Wow I think that was one of your best videos Martin and the crew well done guys

That was fantastic and a very well made in depth video. What a place, its just a shame the house was also demolished.

Very well done! Great video!

Much enjoyed, Martin.

Thanks Martin that was fantastic with great historical info. Take care and all the best. Stevie

This is so beautiful and amazing. So glad they have saved what they have. Thank you for taking us with you on this amazing journey. Next time send James ahead to clear out the spiders for you hehehe. Love this video. I know more history about the Manchester area than I do about where I live lol. I think my mudlarking friends were surprised I had been watching you for a couple of years and I am so glad I found you because I have learned so much from you and the history of the area and it has been wonderful. Thank you Martin

The bonus tracks are hilarious. Keep 'em comin'!

Yet another great video Martin, keep em coming you guys.

Hi Martin The big archway next to the first water wheel well was a fireplace.The moisture created by the wheel was taken by a flue in the centre of a spiral staircase to floors above via ducts in the floors to suppress fire risk.Cheers buddy-great vid👍

Another amazing documentary Martin, thanks for sharing,

Great work Martin & Gang.

So very interesting. Thanks Martin and co!

Fantastic video again guys, more.