# Former Willington Power Station Visit... 06/08



## Kaputnik (Jun 24, 2008)

Many thanks are due to Ashless for suggesting this alternative venue, after an unsuccesful trip to Aston hall that morning..... been covered before, but always worth seeing other peoples take on a place, Nobodygirl, Ashless and me took a wander around and got a few pics.....





You know they're going to be big, but you can't appreciate the huge scale of these towers until you stand below them!




a pic from inside the security building.....




beneath one of the huge cooling towers....




A well used wheelbarrow....


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## ashless (Jun 24, 2008)

I feel I need to point out the "Security Hut" has nothing to do with the present security arrangements on the site.....

However it was a little treasure trove of bits and bobs 

Including these photos from the 50's documenting the construction/expansion of the site





















With power still on in this building we got this rather retro microfiche viewer and printer working! (albeit with much pressing of buttons, scary noises and the smell of warm toner cartriges!)






You can just make out a drawing of.....a shaft or something! There were literally thousands of microfiche cards, all neatly organised!


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## Kaputnik (Jun 24, 2008)

Love the old cars in the pics of pics, from the site in the 50's! this place must have been positively space age, cutting edge stuff back then.
that microfilm viewer is such a compact little unit, isn't it!


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## The Pirate (Jun 24, 2008)

Nice....that old book was one hell of a find !


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## Looloo (Jun 24, 2008)

Ace pics, love stuff like that.


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## johno23 (Jun 24, 2008)

Quite a little museum in that shed by the look of it,especially that old book on the history of the place.
was the light "still"on??


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## NobodyGirl (Jun 24, 2008)

Hey lads, thanks for today! Had a good day out!!!

LOVE that pic with the stop sign in it, awesome angle that!

My flickeroos


























Boys will be boys  





That machine was so retro!!! Adorable. 






Again, thanks guys!!


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## ashless (Jun 24, 2008)

Haha! Check me out with the instructions!


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## smileysal (Jun 24, 2008)

Love the pics from here. And love that old photo album, hope its somewhere safe? That retro machine looks cool, I'd have been pressing buttons lol. And the emergency control panel, was it still live? the lights look like they're on.

Enjoyed seeing these,

Cheers,

 Sal


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## NobodyGirl (Jun 24, 2008)

smileysal said:


> Love the pics from here. And love that old photo album, hope its somewhere safe? That retro machine looks cool, I'd have been pressing buttons lol. And the emergency control panel, was it still live? the lights look like they're on.
> 
> Enjoyed seeing these,
> 
> ...



The lights were all on indeed, everything seemed pretty damn live. they got that machine working pretty good! lol


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## thompski (Jun 25, 2008)

Excellent stuff as always folks 

Love the old photos in particular, when was the power station demolished? I very vaguely recall the main buildings from a road trip with my Uncle, even then the old girl fascinated me 

If they hadn't built the other three cooling towers I feel Willington would be very empty, while cooling towers interest me from an artistic viewpoint part of the appeal with Willington (apart from being local) is the number of towers and its 'V shaped' arrangement on the ground.

There's a lot of those 'reader' things in Derby Local Studies Library, very very noisy and weird contraptions!


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## Solo1 (Jun 25, 2008)

Kaputnik said:


> You know they're going to be big, but you can't appreciate the huge scale of these towers until you stand below them!



"OR"




I love this place !!


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## Lightbuoy (Jun 25, 2008)

Great report peeps 

All that old stuff -top find!

Thanks for sharing.

Lb:jimlad:


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## King Al (Jun 25, 2008)

Super Pics guys I like the microfiche viewer, its a shame its just been left but what do you do with something like that?


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## Kaputnik (Jun 25, 2008)

Solo1 said:


> "OR"
> 
> 
> 
> ...


We were looking at the hand/footholds half way up and a good way round the towers, would'nt fancy that!


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## odeon master (Jun 25, 2008)

*willington powerstation*

hi there, in answer to your question, willington station shut in 1999 and the demolition was carried out in 2001/2002. they left the towers up as at that time powergen may have wished to build another powerstation on the same site. because the towers are still up, the site is still classed as a powerstation site and no planning permission would be needed to build a new gas fired station like what is planned for the drakelow site. although now it is most likely total redevelopment of the site will take place. 

thanks 
odeon master


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## Kaputnik (Jun 25, 2008)

Thanks for that info, Odeon master.... didn't know about the closure dates and the reason for the towers being left.


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## The Pirate (Jun 25, 2008)

It`s not from a really reliable source but someone told me the other day that brand new power station is now planned for the site !!

so maybe those pics you guys are catching will be a good record in the future for a "how it used to look"....."when i were a lad/Gal"


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## thompski (Jun 25, 2008)

From what I know there's a 500 home housing development planned for the site.


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## crashmatt (Jun 25, 2008)

Kaputnik said:


> We were looking at the hand/footholds half way up and a good way round the towers, would'nt fancy that!



I would. I think that would be a great idea


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## chelle (Jun 25, 2008)

*Cracking stuff Ash*

Another cracking report from Ashless......the old pics in that booklet are priceless......hope they get put somwhere safe,like ones that used to be in Pyestock.
regards
Stu


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## ashless (Jun 25, 2008)

chelle said:


> Another cracking report from Ashless......the old pics in that booklet are priceless......hope they get put somwhere safe,like ones that used to be in Pyestock.



Thanks mate! 

Yea I really want to write to someone and tell them to put them in a safer place.....but having found that "someone" how do you broach the fact that you were trespassing to see them in the first place!


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## odeon master (Jun 25, 2008)

*drakelow powerstation*

talking about power stations, did anyone take a look at drakelow power station just south of burton on trent before it was demolished?
i was on site when they blew up the 6 cooling towers, and my mate recorded the bang ! awesome it was.
i'v quiet a collection of pictures from when the station was running. also not long after it closed, i managed to take a real good look inside the place on a tour of the plant in 2004. this was a organized tour of the whole plant , powergen took what equipment they wanted from the site to use in other coal fired stations in the country.then the demolition boys moved on site. i think it took only 18 months to clear the site ! it was huge compared to willington station. it was the biggest coal fired plant in europe in its hayday having 3 separate stations on one site. DRAKELOW A DRAKELOW B and the final one to be built DRAKELOW C STATION 
A and B stations went in the mid 90's leaving only C station left running until its demise in 2003
powgen plan to construct a new gas fired station on the site but on a much smaller scale that the previous one. 
i will post some pictures in time if anyone is interested.
odeon master


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## pdtnc (Jun 25, 2008)

great pictures guys, looks like a nice place for a wonder.


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## Solo1 (Jun 25, 2008)

Kaputnik said:


> We were looking at the hand/footholds half way up and a good way round the towers, would'nt fancy that!



A B&Q 4ft ladder and a rope..





The best view ever..




You can see for miles !!


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## The_Revolution (Jun 26, 2008)

crashmatt said:


> I would. I think that would be a great idea



Why am I not surprised  You're doing the lead climb


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## crashmatt (Jun 26, 2008)

The_Revolution said:


> Why am I not surprised  You're doing the lead climb



No worries.


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## Solo1 (Jun 26, 2008)

crashmatt said:


> No worries.



Guys if you do go up the tower could you please leave the insitu gear in as me and a friend are going back up soon , cheers..


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## crashmatt (Jun 26, 2008)

Solo1 said:


> Guys if you do go up the tower could you please leave the insitu gear in as me and a friend are going back up soon , cheers..



Of course. Just hoping this wind and rain drops off soon.


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## fezzyben (Jun 27, 2008)

Just found this about the powerstation site on the derbyshire council site
_
"There are extensive archaeological remains all around the site including a Neolithic
Cursus monument part of which is a scheduled ancient monument. Whilst this would not
necessarily preclude development on the site as a whole some areas may need to be
excluded to ensure the archaeological remains are preserved in situ."_


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## Keep out! (Apr 1, 2009)

Doesn't seem as creepy as the more well known hospitals. Any reason for that?


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