Urban explorer documents findings in old Ibatex Mill on Canal Road

The explorer – identified only by his first name, Matt – went inside the former Ibatex office building on Canal Road, which has been disused for several years. However, plans are in progress to breathe new life into the building by converting it into good quality residential accommodation.

Matt, who runs the social media page Lost Places and Forgotten Faces, found rooms full of old stock, outdated tech and even what appeared to be the remains of a cannabis farm.

“The mill is huge, dark and very creepy,” said Matt, who is in his 20s and claims to have explored over 500 abandoned places across the world.

“The basement is full of old yarn spinning equipment. Upstairs is full of hundreds of boxes of fabric and clothing.”

Old mill equipment Matt found in the building (Image: Lost Places & Forgotten Faces)

A staircase that has seen better days (Image: Lost Places & Forgotten Faces)

He said his other findings included a calendar from 2001 and discarded newspapers from a year later.

Matt also took photos of what he claims looked like a “sophisticated” weed farm. This had clearly been set up long after the business had stopped using the building.

“The most shocking thing I saw was all the old equipment from the 80s and 90s,” Matt, a self-confessed “Yorkshire lad” who did not want to disclose a more specific location, added.

“It was like stepping into a time warp. It was fascinating.”

But the future of the building looks promising, with active plans to convert it for a new use.

A statement from the Bambage family said: "After over 50 years in the Bradford textile trade, the family are now experienced property developers based in Leeds and we have ongoing and active plans to convert this building and several other Bradford city centre buildings into good quality residential accommodation

"On behalf of the owners of this splendid building we wish to point out that this building is not abandoned and we have no intention of allowing it to become derelict and unused.  

"We also wish to point out that during the Covid lockdown the building was broken into without our knowledge by a criminal gang who vandalised the premises and started a large-scale cannabis farm. Upon discovery this incident was reported to the police who took immediate action to dismantle that operation."

The building was previously occupied by clothing and textile manufacturer Ibatex (Image: Lost Places & Forgotten Faces)

The 19th century building was taken over by textile and clothing manufacturing company Ibatex in the 1970s, but was last in use in January 2012.

In 2016, a planning application for the building to be converted into flats was lodged, but it remains empty.

Old tech was scattered everywhere in the building (Image: Lost Places & Forgotten Faces)

The outside of the mill (Image: Lost Places & Forgotten Faces)

Explaining more about his exploration, Matt added: “I walked past the building and spotted a way inside, so I took it.”

“As Bradford continues to modernise, its links to its iconic industrial past are disappearing. The mills are being converted into offices or student accommodation.

“I hope the yarn spinning equipment can be saved and put in a museum for the younger generation to understand how Bradford once was.”

The building has been left in ruins (Image: Lost Places & Forgotten Faces)

Matt first ventured into urban exploring in 2019 after spotting a large, boarded up mansion in Harrogate.

“My favourites are places where items and belongings have been left behind, sometimes for decades, completely forgotten until I give them a new lease of life through this,” he said.

Another old staircase in the building (Image: Lost Places & Forgotten Faces)

“If you're interested in discovering a hidden world behind the walls, pick up your torch and camera and consider trying urban exploring.

“You never know what you might find!”