Leeds-The great Gasometer in the sky!

[Phill_dvsn]

The rise and fall of the The great Gasometer in the sky!!We've all seen them, I'm suprised they haven't really featured on Secret Leeds before. Those great rusting hulks we call Gasometers!Catch them while you can!I recently read the last 550 gasometers across the U.K had slowly started to be decomishend from 1999, soon these great rusting hulks will be a thing of the past.Only a handful will remain, and then only because they are listed buildings.Essentially a Victorian creation, Gas holders were first used in London in the early 19th century. Leeds is apparently noted for having many gasometers, I thought it was about time to photograph the remaining five we have across the City.Sometimes there up-sometimes there down!Gas is stored in these throughout the day when little gas is being used. At about 5pm there is a great demand for gas and the holder will come down.    

[Phill_dvsn]

The above picture is the Meanwood road gasometer, it doesn't seems to have the same amount of colour, rust, and oily grime the others do. I'm just wondering if this was the last one to be erected in the City. Four of the five Leeds gas holders are the Spiral guided type, the Crossgates structure been the odd one out. Spiral guided gasholders were built in the UK up until 1983    

[Phill_dvsn]

These two gasometers were constructed circa 1965, they stand on the former Meadow Lane gas works at Hunslet. The Middleton railway once ran into these gasworks, you can still the course of the line if you know where to look today. This area was once known as Pottery fields, brick built bottle kilns once stood here. Not all gasometers are still are in use, some have been obsolete for many years, some are used for balancing purposes only, rather than actually storing gas.    

[Phill_dvsn]

This is one of the two gas holders at Meadow lane, Hunslet.Each of of the Leeds holders seems to have it's own unique appearence, they have all weathered differently. I like how the rust has bled down the side of this one. The ladders seem to have been part dismantled, so i'm not sure of it's operational status.    

[Phill_dvsn]

Course of the Middleton railway past the Gasworks sidings marked in red.The Coal staithes where on Kidacre street (now demolished)Tetleys brewery now stands on that spot today.    

[Phill_dvsn]

I think this gas holder near the Armley gyratory has got to be the most photographed in Leeds.I did read somewhere it is the biggest in the City, It certainly appears so.The others have three extending telescopic parts, this one has four to make it the tallest. I'm not sure when this one was built, but it appears to be the same design as the Hunslet gasometers, I'm guessing this would have been built in the 1960's as well?    

[Phill_dvsn]

The Crossgates gasometer is the most historically important in the City, I was surprised to find out it dates back to the Victorian era. This gasometer is also unique to the others. This one is a column guided type, the telescopic lifts were guided by the external frame. All the other Leeds gas holders are the frameless spiral guided type.I guess we had been lucky to catch all the other gasometers fully extended during the day. I wasn't feeling too fussed when i saw this one was down. I want a picture of it in both positions for comparison anyway. The is the deflated view of the demand for gas around Crossgates at 7p.m on a Saturday evening.There were two of these holders on the site of the Crossgates, Halton & Seacroft Gas Company. I'm not sure when the other was demolished. It was still standing in the 1965 picture seen below. Railway sidings once ran into these gasworks, and a nearby goods yard where the Arndale centre car park now stands. This gas holder is quoted to have been built around 1900, although two circular structures are shown here on both the 1894, and 1921 maps. It is possible it could even predate 1900. I'm not sure if it's a listed structure. If it isn't, then i personally think it should be. It's been a prominent landmark around Crossgates for years. I think it would be a shame to loose it.    

[Phill_dvsn]

The old railway sidings, and gasworks at Crossgates in 1965.The smaller gas holder has since been demolished.*Picture © Manx Phill* I guess to some people they might seem like a blot on the landscape, some gasometers were even covered in tar to preserve there iron work. But i quite like there towering, brutal, and weathered look myself. It isn't until recently i realised i didn't really know very much about these things, we've all seen them, and taken them for granted. But as time runs out for them, I feel they can be likened to such buildings as the Leeds International pool, and Tinsley towers perhaps. If you have any info on this structures it would be great to hear it, dates, and history e.t.c. There is very little documented about the Leeds Gasometers. My flickr set of pics are here for any flickr guys with info commentshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/phill_dvsn/sets/7 ... ail/Cheers P

[geoffb]

I worked with the the Gas Holder Maintenance department for about 4 years in my 35 years with North Eastern Gas involved with the purging and decommissioning of many holders. Meadow Lane No2 holder was decommisioned in c1971 this was the largest holder in the NE region holding 5,000,000 Cuft. This was a column guided holder as was Kirkstall holder decomed c 1980Stainburn Square holder situated near where the New BBC studios are, in the end fed solely Quarry Hill Flats. and was demolished roughly the same time as the flats.The Holder at New Wortley is called Spence Lane holder which is still in operation being fed from the Medium pressure grid, the Pressure reduction unit is on the Armley Gyratory with the gas main still running at high level on the roundabout.There is a Historical department within the IGEM which publishes a quarterly magazine called historical Gas Times

[blackprince]

Phill_dvsn wrote: I think this gas holder near the Armley gyratory has got to be the most photographed in Leeds.I did read somewhere it is the biggest in the City, It certainly appears so.The others have three extending telescopic parts, this one has four to make it the tallest. I'm not sure when this one was built, but it appears to be the same design as the Hunslet gasometers, I'm guessing this would have been built in the 1960's as well?     Before the natural gas was piped in from the North Sea (pre-1966) there was a huge gas works near where the Armley gyratory is now . The Gas works used to convert coal to coal gas and produce coke. Filthy process on a huge industrial scale. The gas works were no longer needed when we converted to using natural gas and most gas works sites were flattened in the late 60's to early 70's except for some of the gas holders which were still needed for storage and distribution. I guess that is why the gasholder near the Armley gyratory survived.I remember the Cross Gates gasometer well - the footpath alongside the railway was a fascinating walk for a little boy and my mum used to take me as far as the Barnbow factory. If I was lucky i might get to see some trains and a centurian tank.I also remember a "Gasometer" alongside the canal towpath , near the Sandoz factory, at Rodley. No idea if it is still there. I think it may have been the type with an external tower frame. I confess that as a teenager I did take a few pot shots at this one with a catapult and possibly an air pistol. Rather disappointingly it didn't explode and my early flirtation with terrorism as a career ended there ( honest guv!).A couple of links for anyone interested in this subjecthttp://www.localhistory.scit.wlv.ac.uk/article ... sh_Gas_plc