MEMORIES 685 told, with some amazement, of the massive mill that used to dominate the river scene at Barnard Castle, overshadowing the fragile ruins of the castle with its great bulk. It was built in 1798 by Francis Ullathorne to spin flax imported from Belgium, Ireland, France and Russia into ultra-strong shoe thread. At its 19th Century peak, it was Teesdale's biggest employer with up to 250 men, women and boys working there. However, it closed in 1931 and had a variety of semi-derelict uses until it was demolished in late 1975.
READ MORE: IN PICTURES, ULLATHORNE'S: THE MASSIVE MILL AT THE HEART OF BARNARD CASTLE
And John Hill was on hand with his colour camera to capture the demolition of what was once one of the largest flax mills in the country.
"It's hard to believe it was 1975, I am getting old!" he says.
As John's pictures show, the mill was cleared by February 1976 when the last structure, the tall brick chimney, was brought crashing down.
The mill's footprint beside the County Bridge has been landscaped into a little car park with a picnic area. The chimney site is marked on the ground, and if you rummage around on the riverbank you can find curious pieces of sluice gates which are the last reminders of the area's industrial past.
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"I THINK your Francis Ullathorne was born in 1760 in Pontefract and he died in London in 1837," says genealogist Billy Mollon. "One of his brothers was Thomas Ullathorne, born 1764 Pontefract, and his great-great-grandson was Charles Hague, born 1851 Selby, who died 1926 Durham City."
Charles had what may be described as an eventful life.
"I found reports in newspapers of him as a signalman at Durham station being assaulted by a drunk on the mainline railway viaduct who he was trying to rescue from being killed by a train.
"Later, Charles became a School Board Man (a School Board Man was employed to round up truants who were skipping school) and there was a report of him being assaulted by a woman in Crossgate who had hidden two pokers in her apron and hit him on the head three times.
"Later still, Charles became the Clerk of Works at Durham Sewerage Works and he was living in Alexandria Crescent. There was a report of the sewers overflowing and flooding his house as well as several others in the street."
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