British Short Circuit Testing Station - Hebburn Dec 2012

[Richt247]

Cant seem to find much history about this place so if anyone can help me feel free.

Anyway Managed to get in tonight pictures are a bit random as I was trying to take photos while being hunted by security. I really wanted to climb up to the roof but I couldn't manage it without being spotted.

This place is massive, 2 floors of offices and catwalks all over the place. easy access to both roofs aswell im definatly going to have to go back in the day time and get some photos. scrap men have been and destroyed most of it along with workers stripping out all the asbestos.

If anyones up for an explore give me a shout !

anyway photos :























Richy.

[Els]

That certainly looks quite intriguing, second to last shot looks quite promising.

[Richt247]

First photo shows the ladders in the background leading to a skylight on the smaller roof, I'm sure it's about 5 or 6 stories high. God knows how high the main block is.

[Merlin]

That certainly looks quite intriguing, second to last shot looks quite promising.

Looks like some type of control room, like those 80s control panels.

[Oxygen Thief]

Nice find that is mate. Hopefully we'll see more from here in the future.

[catbalou]

That looks interesting, havent seen this before... Thanks for posting

[Speed]

Yes to crazy control room building! Good Stuff

[CommunistCat]

I'm surprised that someones managed to get in this quick, I've been watching it since it closed and its always looked well locked down.

[Dave.]

Interesting, Reyrolle made some pretty big switchgear! 400,000 volt circuit breakers etc.

Has the admin block been demolished? http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1802424

<sub>The large grey metal building even made its mark on pop music history when it was used as a backdrop to a Gary Numan video.

The only high-voltage (HV) testing site of its kind in the UK, the facility carried out work for the National Grid and other network operators.

But owners Narec, the renewable energy and low carbon technologies experts, say the large testing facility was losing money and needed substantial investment.

A Narec spokesman said: “In relation to the Clothier Laboratory, Narec is in the process of handing the building back to Siemens.

“The electrical networks team were given the option to take redundancy if they wished, but the majority of the team opted to relocate to a custom-built facility – Charles Parson Technology Centre – at its headquarters in Blyth, Northumberland, on July 1 this year.

“Most of the testing equipment was able to be transported from the Clothier Laboratories to the Charles Parson Technology Centre and there has been significant investment in lab facilities to expand capabilities for cable testing.”

Ironically, a VIP 40th anniversary celebration was held at Clothier Laboratories last year. The Hebburn facility was launched in 1970 by the then Technology Minister, Tony Benn.</sub>

[Dave.]

Thats a big tesla coil doo-dah behind that door at the end!: