The creamery is the major industry in Sproston, and has been in existence since 1929 - before that the buildings were in use as a cider factory, opened in 1881, and closing in 1926. To construct the original site a large area of the hillside was removed, and the yard is flanked on two sides by a high retaining wall of brown stone. Around 75 people, working 2 shifts keep production going 24 hours a day.

The milk is collected from the surrounding farms and transported in churns by lorries to the creamery, where it is unloaded.The empty churns ( known as 'kits' ) are then passed though a rotary steam cleaner, inside on the ground floor, before being loaded back onto the lorries again for the return journey to the farms.

The milk is then treated,stored and then pumped into the empty - and previously washed out 6 wheel railtanks that are waiting in the loading bay siding. When full these are marshalled as the return milk train, bound for the capital.

The top floor of the building contains the steam processing plant, for pasteurisation and a storage tank.

The middle floor has coagulation and drying tanks, and the ground floor contains a freezing and butter processing plant,The basement contains more storage tanks.

The single storey building with the northlight pattern roof, has plant and pipework for pumping the milk into the cleaned milk tanks and dealing with milk churn arrivals and unloading by rail.

The creamery is run by United Dairies,and has its own gated private siding which will hold 3-4 six wheeled milk tanks, or a bogie syphon g for churn traffic.The goods yard headshunt is used to hold any traffic awaiting access to the loading platform, the full brake or stove R from the train is also shunted out of the way here. The loading platform also receives insulated vans for butter or cheese.

Buildings are Metcalfe with the exceptions of the cycle shed (Ratio) and main water tower (Dapol) which is used to supply the water for processing inside the creamery, and the large amounts required for tank washing. The main administration is situated on the top floor of the main office block - with the offices of the creamery manager and his deputy located on the other side of the entrance (under the tower).

The reception office is on the ground floor - immediately next to the arched entrance.  The creamery has its own boilerhouse, which has a second water tower and stores building adjacent.

The yard itself is paved with grey stone setts (Redutex) which are self adhesive very thin sheets.  This is the first time I have used these, and must say they are excellent, easy to cut with scissors or a knife, and you can lift and move it until the necessary position is achieved.  They were obtained from "Model Textures", who import them from Spain, where they are produced for architects models, planning, etc

The name of the creamery is displayed vertically on two of the faces of the 80' chimney, this was done using slaters 8mm letters, as was the United Dairies sign on the outside wall of the creamery.

Eventually I hope to fit lights inside some of the buildings, along with more staff and some pipework, fans etc.