Whessoe Oil and Gas Offices, Darlington - March 2008

[Cerberus]

Quite your typical 60s office block this one, vacated by the Whessoe Oil and Gas company quite recently by the look of it. The scale of vandalism though going on in this part of Darlington is quite shocking. The damage to the building is as extensive as anything I've seen (apart from Billingham house) but sustained over a very short time.

The building still had new clean carpets, full electical power, live lift machinery and a live alarm system beeping away with a fault status. But as you'll see its been left to the locals to trash.

On with the photos, it turned out to be an enjoyable explore with no1rich, we started at the top and were not expecting much at first, but it got less chav'ed the lower we decended.

Notice the brand new building opposite has had its nice new glazing smashed.

A typical open plan floor

Was beginning to think there wasn't going to be much more to it, then we found the immaculate board room.

Annoyingly, access to the roof was prevented by this cage, weirdly all the lift machinery was very much live humming away wasting electricity - had nobody thought to turn it off?

Water tanks in the roof

Directors, posh staircase.

ID cards left

Chair shot, someone had been having a chill out with the paper and an orange

Leaving shot

​

 

[Virusman26]

Re: Whessoe Oil and Gas Offices, Darlington - 23/3/08

Ace place. Well worth a look then?

 

[carew]

Re: Whessoe Oil and Gas Offices, Darlington - 23/3/08

nice place. looks like the tatters have been in for the pipes.

 

[no1rich]

Re: Whessoe Oil and Gas Offices, Darlington - 23/3/08

Was suprised at the amount of glass everywhere. When we were walking round there was chunks of glass falling away from the building and just smashing. Excellent way to spend an afternoon. Cheers Cerbus. Shame about the cage at the roof access point.

Here's a couple from me:

That damn cage....

 

[Foxylady]

Ooh, love the 5th pic down, no1. It looks like some kind of alien spider. Rather like the posh staircase too.

Nice pics and report, guys.

 

[Cerberus]

Yes, this one is mint.

 

[Chocmonster]

As an update this building has now been demolished, the land is going to be made into yet another housing estate.

 

[james.s]

Damn it! What a shame.
Welcome to the forum

 

[skittles]

Cool explore

do you know what happened to the company, Googled they seem to be well known in the gas industry but can not find what happened to them

 

[Chocmonster]

Whessoe are still going but they are now based the other side of Darlington at a place called Morton Palms near the A66.

http://www.whessoe.co.uk/main.htm

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/search/4159481.Award_winning_firm_gets_major_contract/

The old site will remain empty for a while as the housing plans have just been turned down due to lack of affordable homes in the scheme.


BTW - thanks for the welcome!

 

[VforVendetta]

Shame its totally trashed!