IT HAS been a landmark towering over the centre of Meltham for more than 140 years.

But the chimney at Albion Mills is on the way out.

Demolition crews have started work taking down the 160-foot high disused chimney as part of a major revamp of the Mill Moor Road site.

Three or four workmen from Hutchinson Demolition, based at Ravensthorpe, climb the giddy heights to the top of the chimney each day.

And they are painstakingly taking it down brick by brick until they reach the 80-foot mark.

Then a giant high-reach excavator will be brought in to “nibble” the rest of the chimney to the ground.

It’s part of a huge demolition operation which also includes taking down the five-storey main mill building which dates back to 1864.

Developers Hurstwood plan to build 23 new houses on the site once it has been cleared.

The mill closed in 2003, when the final 25 textile workers lost their jobs.

It had been used for textile production for many years, latterly by R Butterworth and Son.

Andrew Hutchinson of the demolition firm said: “It is a 20-week contract and we expect to be finished on site in January.

“We have done a number of mill chimneys in the past and we prefer to blast them or to use the excavator.

“But this job requires we demolish the chimney by barring it – bringing it down virtually brick by brick to the halfway point when the machine can come in and finish the job.

“We are demolishing the main building in a similar method as there is a live electrical substation close to the building.

“The lads are very experienced and it is a safe way of demolishing a landmark.”