A fire broke out at a Grade II-listed building, which is more than 165 years old, in Staffordshire.Six fire crews rushed to the blaze at The Big Mill in Leek on Friday evening, the Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service said.
Drone footage showed huge flames covering the entire building, with the roof no longer in place and a section of a wall missing.Read more from Jattvibe:’Alarming’ report reveals number of UK meningitis deathsCrowds gather at vigil for mother after man charged with murderSmoke was still smouldering from the building on Saturday morning.
The fire service advised people not to drive near the area and those living nearby to keep doors and windows closed. Residents claimed the derelict building appeared “completely burned out”.
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Pic: Up in the Sky Droneography
The six-storey mill dates back to 1860 and is an important example of a large-scale building for the silk industry, according to the Historic England website.It represents one of the earliest mill buildings on this scale in Leek, the public body adds.It also notes that the building is a good example of the mill-style developed by William Sugden, the leading mill architect at work in Leek at this time.
The site had been derelict for several years and a planning application had previously been submitted to convert the building to 55 apartments.Dame Karen Bradley, the Conservative Staffordshire Moorlands MP, said on social media that she was “so sad to see the terrible fire at the Big Mill”.
