Goodbye to gasworks caught on camera
THE town’s skyline has changed forever following the destruction of gasworks which have stood for 150 years.
The gasholders, which are based on Black Lane and date back to 1884, have been redundant since 2009.
Permission to demolish the huge structures was given in June last year and after more than six months of work, engineers have now completely dismantled the structures.
National Grid held an exhibition at the town hall with displays about the history of the structures and the process to dismantle them, with pictures by Macclesfield Alternative Camera Club who took the opportunity to capture the historical works before they were torn down.
Residents have had different opinions on the large Victorian structures.
But love them or hate them, they were an iconic part of the town’s skyline.
Beryl Footman, who is president of Macclesfield Civic Society, said: “You can imagine the awful fuss that was made when the gasholders were first put up. The town’s skyline will be changed forever now they’re gone, but it’s one of those things, a bit of old Macc that has to go. Some may be sad to see them go, but others may not even have noticed them.
“I hope something splendid and more suitable will be put in their place.”
White iron rosettes from the gasholders are now in the homes of Macclesfield residents after National Grid passed them to Macclesfield History Society who gave them out for £5 donations for Macclesfield Museums.
Beryl, who has one of the rosettes, said: “I now have a piece of the gasworks in my garage. They are a rather handsome piece of Victorian cast iron.
“I’m removing the paint from it and am going to polish it and use a block of wood to make a door stop. It’s rather nice that people will have them in their homes.”
The site was used to store natural gas for use by the residents and businesses of Macclesfield for almost 150 years.
The first gasholder was constructed in 1884, with the second gasholder being constructed in 1924 to meet the increasing industrial demand of the Macclesfield area.
However advances in technology mean gas can now be stored under- ground, making the gasholders obsolete.
The gasholders were disconnected from the gas network in 2012 and work to pull them down began in November last year.
The council has identified the site for employment uses.