The specific site is historically known in the region for its bleaching operations (*blanchisserie*).
The Stenter (or Tenter Frame)
After bleaching and washing, the fabric was soaking wet, shrunk, and misshapen. The factory's most important—and often longest—machine solved this: the stenter.
• Operation: This is a horizontal machine spanning tens of meters in length. The wet fabric was secured along its edges by pins or clips attached to a chain conveyor.
• Function: The machine stretched the fabric taut in both width and length as it passed through a massive, built-in hot-air oven. This ensured the textile dried perfectly straight, wrinkle-free, and at the exact desired width.
Calenders
If you see large, solid steel or felt-covered rollers stacked vertically, you are looking at a calender.
• Operation: Essentially, this is a giant industrial iron and mangle rolled into one.
• Function: The dry, bleached fabric was pressed under extreme pressure between heavy, steam-heated rollers. This gave the linen or cotton its final flat, smooth texture and characteristic sheen (finish).
Why it looks so impressive today
Because these machines are constructed largely from immensely heavy cast iron and solid steel, they were simply too heavy or too costly to dismantle and hoist away when the factory closed or following the 2005 fire. Consequently, the skeletal remains of these installations—along with the staircases and scaffolding—now form the backdrop of this industrial ruin.
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