Gasholders have now vanished from the town’s skyline
DEMOLITION of Rochdale’s landmark gasholders has been completed.
The towers in SPARTH BOTTOMS have dominated the town’s skyline for almost 60 years have appeared in TV shows such as Waterloo Road and Manchester bomb drama From There to Here.
But after a painstaking two year project by National Grid to dismantle them piece by the piece, the 135ft gasometers, off Church Street, are no more.
National Grid land regeneration manager Samantha Rendell said: “The gasholders hadn’t been used for years and by taking them down we’ve been able to free-up the industrial site for future regeneration.
“We’d like to thank all those living and working in the area for their patience and understanding while we were on site.”
Manufacturers’ plaques from the gasholders have been donated to Fakenham museum of gas and local history, Rochdale’s Touchstones Museum and the Littleborough Historical and Archaeological Society Ltd.
Bernard Pratt, from LHAS, said: “The gasholders were iconic structures in the landscape of Rochdale, indicative of the town’s foresight and technological developments. As such, we were pleased to receive the manufacturer’s plaque donation, which will proudly be on show for years to come for visitors to see.”
The towers were first built on the site of the old Rochdale Gasworks, which opened in 1824. They later were built in the late 50s to cope with increased demand for gas and helped maintain a stable source of energy for local homes and businesses.
But by 2013, technological advancements meant gas could be stored within the pipe system or underground, meaning the towers were redundant.