Washing & Dressing Coal? I don't get it, I've read the history, and still don't get it, so I've tried to rationalise it in terms I can understand (music). So bear with me...
Don’t you just love it when you’re wandering through the woods and you walk into something like this?
I’ve actually got a vague history of this one too. It was originally built in the 50’s to “Wash and dress” coal. Sounds to me like the coal was getting ready for a night out…
Anyway by the time the early 90’s came round people were more interested in doing the Bartman than washing coal (I assumed this last bit), and the factory became derelict.
Here it is in Nov 1993.
And a bit later:
Throughout the rest of the 90’s music was good, and no one was interested in washing coal.
Then in 2003 things changed.
The Cheeky Girls had a #1 hit. Quickly followed by the Blazin’ squad. By the 8th August 2003 Craig David reached #1 with his single “Spanish”.
Enough was enough.
The very next day on 9th August 2003 work started again on fixing up the coal washing plant.
First of all: All of the broken windows were removed:
Then new ones installed:
If you look at my first photo, you can see that the windows were eventually completed. The whole building was given a splash of paint. It was very, very, nearly finished. One can only assume they all went off to perfect their Gangnam dances earlier this year, because it’s still in a fantastic condition; 99% complete, drawings still hanging in the site office.
Inside the main building, it’s a mass of concrete walkways, silos, and stairs. It’ looks like an Escher drawing.
Wheel:
Vat:
Old photo from inside the factory:
We decide to head up the highest point in that beautiful curved roof, and chill on the beams.
I try my hardest not to look down, but it’s inevitable. It’s a lot further down than it looks, especially when you start counting the storeys.
Enough of that! We start making our way down, snapping away at this beautiful concrete labyrinth.
We made our way back to the car, and I looked back up at the curved portion of roof where we had just been sat.
Cheers for looking!
Don’t you just love it when you’re wandering through the woods and you walk into something like this?
I’ve actually got a vague history of this one too. It was originally built in the 50’s to “Wash and dress” coal. Sounds to me like the coal was getting ready for a night out…
Anyway by the time the early 90’s came round people were more interested in doing the Bartman than washing coal (I assumed this last bit), and the factory became derelict.
Here it is in Nov 1993.
And a bit later:
Throughout the rest of the 90’s music was good, and no one was interested in washing coal.
Then in 2003 things changed.
The Cheeky Girls had a #1 hit. Quickly followed by the Blazin’ squad. By the 8th August 2003 Craig David reached #1 with his single “Spanish”.
Enough was enough.
The very next day on 9th August 2003 work started again on fixing up the coal washing plant.
First of all: All of the broken windows were removed:
Then new ones installed:
If you look at my first photo, you can see that the windows were eventually completed. The whole building was given a splash of paint. It was very, very, nearly finished. One can only assume they all went off to perfect their Gangnam dances earlier this year, because it’s still in a fantastic condition; 99% complete, drawings still hanging in the site office.
Inside the main building, it’s a mass of concrete walkways, silos, and stairs. It’ looks like an Escher drawing.
Wheel:
Vat:
Old photo from inside the factory:
We decide to head up the highest point in that beautiful curved roof, and chill on the beams.
I try my hardest not to look down, but it’s inevitable. It’s a lot further down than it looks, especially when you start counting the storeys.
Enough of that! We start making our way down, snapping away at this beautiful concrete labyrinth.
We made our way back to the car, and I looked back up at the curved portion of roof where we had just been sat.
Cheers for looking!
