Former Willington Power Station Visit... 06/08

[Kaputnik]

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....

 

[ashless]

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!

 

[Kaputnik]

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!

 

[The Pirate]

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

 

[Looloo]

Ace pics, love stuff like that.

 

[johno23]

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??

 

[NobodyGirl]

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!!

 

[ashless]

Haha! Check me out with the instructions!

 

[smileysal]

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

 

[NobodyGirl]

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

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

 

[thompski]

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!

 

[Solo1]

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 !!

 

[Lightbuoy]

Great report peeps

All that old stuff -top find!

Thanks for sharing.

Lb:jimlad:

 

[King Al]

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

 

[Kaputnik]

"OR"

I love this place !!

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

 

[odeon master]

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

 

[Kaputnik]

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

 

[The Pirate]

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"

 

[thompski]

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

 

[crashmatt]

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