Old Gasworks (Remnants) Manchester 04/23

[Bignickb]

Rochdale Road Gasworks (Remnants) Manchester 04/23



After hearing about this place I decided to go and have a look for myself, it was in my city and I was getting stir crazy. It took a fair amount of walking as I was fooled by the arches that didn't contain the entry point. But when I was about to give up it appeared like the Mr Ben Shopkeeper (Yes, I'm old!)

This is the remnants of the Rochdale Road Gasworks opened in 1824, Gas Lighting became popular to illuminate the dark, smoky streets and houses around the large mills and factories. So places like this were built to supply the big demand.

The main building but for a few parts is pretty much gone, but hidden under a former car park was this immense chamber. It was dark, wet and muddy. A couple of small circular holes had been drilled into the external wall but didn't let much daylight in. There were additional sections but I didn't want to wreck my already dirt covered clothes and they didn't look as interesting as the main one.

On with the pics!

 

[Bignickb]

Whoops! I posted it twice! Can someone remove this one please?

 

[Hayman]

These tunnels could have been where the coke from the sealed chambers in which the coal was heated to produce the gas came down and was taken away.

 

[BikinGlynn]

Thats really quite nice ... in a filthy tunnel kind of way!

 

[Mearing]

That's interesstinng. Reminds me of a time years ago when on the train passing Luton gasWorks ( long gone and the railway overlooking it ) I Regularly read the proud motto on the facade which declared "EX FUMO DAR LUCEM" You can guess the trans;lation!

 

[verdigris]

see also a YouTube presentation about the Gould Street gas works off Rochdale Road, by keen Manchester historian Martin Zero. He packs in a lot of history, with fascinating photos.
Towards the end, he shows the beautiful, decaying, coat of arms. He reckons it's the 'old' Manchester coat of arms, with the motto Concilio et Labore, and says it should be preserved.
Of course. But who knows, it seems the whole area is to be developed into a new community of high rise flats and exclusive housing..............................

 

[Bignickb]

see also a YouTube presentation about the Gould Street gas works off Rochdale Road, by keen Manchester historian Martin Zero. He packs in a lot of history, with fascinating photos.
Towards the end, he shows the beautiful, decaying, coat of arms. He reckons it's the 'old' Manchester coat of arms, with the motto Concilio et Labore, and says it should be preserved.
Of course. But who knows, it seems the whole area is to be developed into a new community of high rise flats and exclusive housing..............................

I'm already a regular visitor to his vids, this prompted me to find this place! I've guided him to sites too.

 

[Hayman]

That's interesstinng. Reminds me of a time years ago when on the train passing Luton gasWorks ( long gone and the railway overlooking it ) I Regularly read the proud motto on the facade which declared "EX FUMO DAR LUCEM" You can guess the trans;lation!

Actually: EX FUMO DARE LUCEM - to give light from smoke. The companies were often called ".... Gas Light & Coke Companies". Thus the coke resulting from the gas-producing process was also sold by the companies, along with tar, ammonia, etc.
A bit like the butchered pig - every bit of the original coal was used for something. When I was lorry driving at the Christchurch (New Zealand) gasworks in 1977, I took cylinders of ammonia to the railway station; I think the gas was used for refrigeration purposes.

 

[verdigris]

Actually: EX FUMO DARE LUCEM - to give light from smoke. The companies were often called ".... Gas Light & Coke Companies". Thus the coke resulting from the gas-producing process was also sold by the companies, along with tar, ammonia, etc.
A bit like the butchered pig - every bit of the original coal was used for something. When I was lorry driving at the Christchurch (New Zealand) gasworks in 1977, I took cylinders of ammonia to the railway station; I think the gas was used for refrigeration purposes.

the video by Martin Zero of the Gould Street/Rochdale Road gas works in Manchester notes that the work there was very hard, and toxic - which must have been recognised by the gas works owners, because they gave each chap a quart of beer free every day. They also provided free coffins ! the gas works was in a very poor area, surrounded by a tannery and the polluted River Irk. Must have been dreadful.

 

[night crawler]

Nice work, the walls do look very sooty which backs up Hayman in what he said, glad we don't use the stuff now though I think people still burn coke and anthracite. Can see why you did not want to get too muddy

 

[Hayman]

the video by Martin Zero of the Gould Street/Rochdale Road gas works in Manchester notes that the work there was very hard, and toxic - which must have been recognised by the gas works owners, because they gave each chap a quart of beer free every day. They also provided free coffins ! the gas works was in a very poor area, surrounded by a tannery and the polluted River Irk. Must have been dreadful.

A chromeplating works at Buckfast in Devon gave half a pint of Channel Island (gold top) milk to each of its workers daily. There was a CWS tannery in Buckfastleigh; it stunk to high heaven.

 

[sadlerwells]

A chromeplating works at Buckfast in Devon gave half a pint of Channel Island (gold top) milk to each of its workers daily. There was a CWS tannery in Buckfastleigh; it stunk to high heaven.

In the late 70s I worked for Priestley Screenprinters in Gloucester — they gave the printers milk to drink when they were using a particularly toxic ink.

 

[sadlerwells]

the video by Martin Zero of the Gould Street/Rochdale Road gas works in Manchester notes that the work there was very hard, and toxic - which must have been recognised by the gas works owners, because they gave each chap a quart of beer free every day. They also provided free coffins ! the gas works was in a very poor area, surrounded by a tannery and the polluted River Irk. Must have been dreadful.

Beer was given to stonemasons too, it being a dusty job (and beer being weaker then).

 

[verdigris]

thanks for the examples. I salute the men who had to work in these toxic and sometimes fatal jobs.

 

[Hayman]

Beer was given to stonemasons too, it being a dusty job (and beer being weaker then).

Perhaps it was also because water in the old days was not as fit to drink as it is now. It seems that beers only became stronger when clean drinking water took over from what, since before Shakespeare's day was known as 'small [or weak] beer as a general drink. We still call an insignificant thing 'small beer'.