# Pride Park Gasometers, Derby - August 2008



## thompski (Aug 3, 2008)

Another one of those places which made me ponder as I travelled past on a packed smelly bus to my grotty Derby suburb, well after a few recces and some non-starters me and Saigon_Ob decided to have a mosey about these quite prominent structures which sit amongst a fairly unexciting modern business park.

Along with the Railway works, Pride Park as it is now known was also home to Litchurch Gas Works, operated by the Derby Gas Light and Coke Company. History is a bit vague on the gas works, though from looking at some old photographs of the area it has existed at least since the 1950s and most likely longer then that. It seems to have scaled down since the 1950s, and one of the gasometers looks like it has been replaced since then. The original works near Friar Gate were demolished with only a small section of wall surviving as a 'memorial' within a 1980s council estate.

A nice if somewhat exposed explore, it was interesting to walk around these structures as they had intrigued me for many years. Unfortunately the tanks were both fully compressed so no inspiring views apart from the surrounding business park. There is many rumours that these could be taken down in a few years - I feel it would be a great loss but I guess developers will be developers, personally I would like to see any replacement buildings resemble the tanks in shape 

On the ground
















Saigon on the steps which would lead to the extended sections





The railings for the many sections, note the liquid between each part (oil?)





Looking towards Derby City Centre





And the 'third gasometer' aka Pride Park Stadium 





And finally more steps to nowhere... much like the rest of Derby


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## bungle666 (Aug 3, 2008)

Nice pics!!!!

Gasometers are sat in water BTW not oil, they work like an inverted glass held under water!! 

see here http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071128111445AAVJnxJ and here http://www.gasmuseum.co.uk/gasholders.htm for more details!!

but basically the steel sections are sat in a tank of water and the gas is pumped into them raising the steel sections, when they are full they self empty by gravity maintaning the pressure suppllied to the mains!!

B..


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## Foxylady (Aug 3, 2008)

Wow, really excellent photos and a cool explore. Love the sillouettes.


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## zero seven four (Aug 3, 2008)

cool un mate, there is easy access in Sheffield now if i was an anarchist, no you have inspired me to go have a look at the ones in Sheffield..


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## The Pirate (Aug 3, 2008)

Here`s one of the pics i got from the top of the steps....It seemed fine going up them untill i got right to the top and a gust of wind blew (luckily) towards the side that had the railings..


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## Engineer (Aug 3, 2008)

*Gas holder.*

This may explain the "sat in oil" thing.

http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=4b0432ca7f9e7bc81090438e9a8dc6a4

Inside pic. 

http://cache.viewimages.com/xc/3072...B455078B246EC24496FA3080C0F2DA55A1E4F32AD3138

Very common in steelworks, they used a recirculating tar system to seal the piston in older models.


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## johno23 (Aug 3, 2008)

Nice one,truly different explore and some nice pics as well,interesting stuff


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## chelle (Aug 3, 2008)

*Well done*

Great shots al of you and thanxxx for the other links to info on how these creatures function.


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## Sabtr (Aug 3, 2008)

I always did want to climb one of these things. Thanks for posting these.


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## thompski (Aug 3, 2008)

Bungle666 and Engineer - thanks for the information, greatly appreciated. I love the inside shot 

074 - Go fourth and explore, I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

Gasometer's are a nice photogenic subject, along with cooling towers, pylons and silos which are similar 'big industrial landmarks' for many parts of the UK.


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## thompski (Aug 6, 2008)

I often discuss elsewhere with a local historian and heritage campaigner Urban regeneration issues in Derby, while on the subject of the possible development of a new Eagle Market and new theatre I took the liberty to ask him about these particular Gasometers. He was kind enough to look into the newspaper archives at the Derby Local Studies Library;



> While I was in Derby I took the liberty of going to the LSL on your behalf regarding the gasometer. This was what I gleaned.
> 
> It was announced in the DET dated 26.03.1971 (p.1 c.5) that the manufacture of town gas was to cease in Derby (major extensions to the works having been completed on 19.06.1957).
> 
> ...


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## Engineer (Aug 6, 2008)

*Gasometer.*

Thompski, That's an interesting bit of info, interesting to see how the "Dash for Gas" clouded the storage issue which now bites us in the bum.
Although storing in a gaseous state is not as effective as LNG storage I am sure all capacity would now be to our advantage.
Boils down to the land value as houseing I suppose, same as all industrial sites.


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## tarboat (Aug 6, 2008)

thompski said:


> There is many rumours that these could be taken down in a few years - I feel it would be a great loss but I guess developers will be developers, personally I would like to see any replacement buildings resemble the tanks in shape



Perhaps something like this at the former Dublin gasworks. Made into apartments but now application made to make it into a hotel.





It is always good to see gasholders featured here. Remember not to smoke when visiting! 

I did recently see repairs being undertaken on a full gasholder and the men were just welding patches on!


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## Reaperman (Aug 6, 2008)

Nice photos, Good to see some more British Gas Holders, I don't think I've visited the collapsible type without the framework around them before. 

Interesting to see the Dublin re use, I remember hearing about another site that were converted to be an exhibition center. My favorite example of a renovated gas holder is at the landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord in Germany where they have made the holder into a diving tank. The outside is mostly unchanged there are some photos of the inside here.

There are a few pictures from my visit to a set in the midlands here which might be of interest.


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## thompski (Aug 6, 2008)

Now thats a nice reuse of a Gasometer site! Obviously not possible in Derby as they don't have those cage structures around them. But two large cylindrical offices instead of the boring sheds which make up modern business parks would be a far nicer addition.

I noticed a full one recently in Skegness, however its a bit far to travel. Hopefully those in other towns and cities can be photographed - like cooling towers they'll gradually decline.


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## Engineer (Aug 6, 2008)

*Gas Holder.*

Excellent use of holder as diving tank, MOD found some uses for ponds, see link.


http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/sites/r/rotundas/index.shtml


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## BigLoada (Aug 6, 2008)

Some lovely pictures there. There are some of these in a town near me but they are still in use unfortunately otherwise I would climb them too.
I love the huge size and energy of these things.


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