spooksprings
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- Oct 13, 2011
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Brynmawr Rubber Factory - Boiler House
If your car ever breaks down in Brynmawr (no other reason to be there) you may wander about and discover a strange monument hiding in the
trees and mist, looking like some giant train from 'Dune'. I always thought this place was a service station for trams/tramps. Hopping up to the
2nd floor I see a lot of coal and large sumps. Hmm coal powered trams?
No! of course this was an offloading point for coal, it being dumped from the carriages above for a small power station.
Some strenuous research later, and turns out there were 9 of these 'boiler houses' originally surrounding the Brynmawr Rubber Factory.
It was designed between 1946 and 1951 by The Architect's Co-Op, a group of Architecture students from the AA in London, in collaboration with the Engineer Ove Arup.
It was used for producing various rubber products (mainly tyres) and is considered by many as a Modernist icon.
The main production floor was spanned by nine huge concrete shell domes which were punctuated by circular rooflights. Some of the outer
sections of the factory were roofed with concrete barrel vaulted shells. The building was perhaps too ambitious and it was never a commercial success.
Later in its life, it was owned by Dunlop and used for manufacturing vinyl flooring known as Semtex. Despite being a listed building, it was demolished in 2001. Wikipedia
Former Boiler House at Dunlop Semtex Factory
Grade II* Date Listed: 5 August 1986
Cadw Building ID: 1869.
This reminds me so much of IG-88 (SW ESB)
coal dumping chute
This wise, peacful, sagacious creature on the right is I believe a Samiad.
I believe this to be a prehistoric relative of the slinky, the hairy slinky
Good's Yard Abergavenny
Ok then onto Abergavenny. I had a church in mind but the renovators beat me to it. I know I'd strike lucky if I wandered out of town. And woot! bingo an old Good's Yard. However there were big men with bigger moustaches who said no entry as they were in the process of demolishing my said prize before my eyes! So I did a very impulsive and dangerous thing. I had to enter that building as it was falling about me to catch a glimpse of it's dying heart. I was minutes away from being entombed. Yeah I felt good but AM stupid for doing that.
This will be gone time you get there
This part is being kept!
Cheers! Spooks
If your car ever breaks down in Brynmawr (no other reason to be there) you may wander about and discover a strange monument hiding in the
trees and mist, looking like some giant train from 'Dune'. I always thought this place was a service station for trams/tramps. Hopping up to the
2nd floor I see a lot of coal and large sumps. Hmm coal powered trams?
No! of course this was an offloading point for coal, it being dumped from the carriages above for a small power station.
Some strenuous research later, and turns out there were 9 of these 'boiler houses' originally surrounding the Brynmawr Rubber Factory.
It was designed between 1946 and 1951 by The Architect's Co-Op, a group of Architecture students from the AA in London, in collaboration with the Engineer Ove Arup.
It was used for producing various rubber products (mainly tyres) and is considered by many as a Modernist icon.
The main production floor was spanned by nine huge concrete shell domes which were punctuated by circular rooflights. Some of the outer
sections of the factory were roofed with concrete barrel vaulted shells. The building was perhaps too ambitious and it was never a commercial success.
Later in its life, it was owned by Dunlop and used for manufacturing vinyl flooring known as Semtex. Despite being a listed building, it was demolished in 2001. Wikipedia
Former Boiler House at Dunlop Semtex Factory
Grade II* Date Listed: 5 August 1986
Cadw Building ID: 1869.
This reminds me so much of IG-88 (SW ESB)
coal dumping chute
This wise, peacful, sagacious creature on the right is I believe a Samiad.
I believe this to be a prehistoric relative of the slinky, the hairy slinky
Good's Yard Abergavenny
Ok then onto Abergavenny. I had a church in mind but the renovators beat me to it. I know I'd strike lucky if I wandered out of town. And woot! bingo an old Good's Yard. However there were big men with bigger moustaches who said no entry as they were in the process of demolishing my said prize before my eyes! So I did a very impulsive and dangerous thing. I had to enter that building as it was falling about me to catch a glimpse of it's dying heart. I was minutes away from being entombed. Yeah I felt good but AM stupid for doing that.
This will be gone time you get there
This part is being kept!
Cheers! Spooks
