Visited with Vintage.
After about 2 years of wanting to get to steetly having passed it on the train many times, we decided to add it to the list of explores for the day....as it happens it was the only site we did.
Brief history, just copied and pasted from internet...
1937: Site acquired by Steetley. New process allows magnesium to be produced from sea water.
1938: Plant opens and expands rapidly.
1961: Chimney built which is seen across Hartlepool.
1962: World's largest settling tank built on the site.
1967: 5,147 tons of magnesium produced a week.
1997: Britmag takes over the site from Redland.
2002: Britmag goes into administration, and the site is reborn as CJC Chemicals.
2005: CJC also falls on hard times and the area falls into disrepair.
2005: Culford Properties become free-holders of the site and draw up plans for a 500-home estate.
2006: Children caught by the Mail diving into the settling tanks.
2007: (August) Children snapped by local resident playing among the rubble.
2007: (September) English Nature opposes building plans because of breeding birds near the site.
2007: (October) The council puts £100,000 aside in case they have to clear the site.
So anyway, we started the day with a visit to Urshaw College, which was a fail, and then moved onto Durham Baths which was also a fail (we found the access, but it required crawling on an air duct above the pool which I dare say would hurt if we were to fall.
Anyway, cut our losses and headed to steetly. Was a great explore, but unfortunately Vintage's camera decided to fuck up.
Worth noting was that there were two security people looking over us for a bit and after about 15 minutes they just wandered off - must have know we weren't causing any trouble.
Anyway, on with the photos
Having been on the site for about 2 hours we decided to walk along the pier...just because it was there more than anything....
The rest are here
After about 2 years of wanting to get to steetly having passed it on the train many times, we decided to add it to the list of explores for the day....as it happens it was the only site we did.
Brief history, just copied and pasted from internet...
1937: Site acquired by Steetley. New process allows magnesium to be produced from sea water.
1938: Plant opens and expands rapidly.
1961: Chimney built which is seen across Hartlepool.
1962: World's largest settling tank built on the site.
1967: 5,147 tons of magnesium produced a week.
1997: Britmag takes over the site from Redland.
2002: Britmag goes into administration, and the site is reborn as CJC Chemicals.
2005: CJC also falls on hard times and the area falls into disrepair.
2005: Culford Properties become free-holders of the site and draw up plans for a 500-home estate.
2006: Children caught by the Mail diving into the settling tanks.
2007: (August) Children snapped by local resident playing among the rubble.
2007: (September) English Nature opposes building plans because of breeding birds near the site.
2007: (October) The council puts £100,000 aside in case they have to clear the site.
So anyway, we started the day with a visit to Urshaw College, which was a fail, and then moved onto Durham Baths which was also a fail (we found the access, but it required crawling on an air duct above the pool which I dare say would hurt if we were to fall.
Anyway, cut our losses and headed to steetly. Was a great explore, but unfortunately Vintage's camera decided to fuck up.
Worth noting was that there were two security people looking over us for a bit and after about 15 minutes they just wandered off - must have know we weren't causing any trouble.
Anyway, on with the photos
Having been on the site for about 2 hours we decided to walk along the pier...just because it was there more than anything....
The rest are here
