Northampton Lighthouse
The National Lift Tower (previously called the Express Lift Tower) is a lift-testing tower built by the Express Lift Company (a lifts division of the General Electric Company (GEC) off the Weedon Road in Northampton, England.
The structure was commissioned in 1978 with construction commencing in 1980, and was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 12 November 1982. It has been a Grade II Listed Building since 1997.
From the time it was built, one shaft was specifically used by the British Standards Institution (BSI) for type testing of lift safety components at the time under the BS 5655 and BS EN81 standards. Safety Gear testing involved putting the lift cars (frame) into free fall conditions with rated mass at tripping speeds as required by the designers of the safety gear to ensure the lift cars decelerated and stopped within the requirements of the standard. Buffer testing involved impacting them with the maximum and minimum mass at tripping speeds to ensure decelerations were within that requirement by the standard in both cases the aim was to ensure if the lift ever went into free fall or uncontrolled downward movement the safety components stopped the lift without causing any serious injury to the occupant. BSI ceased using the test tower soon after the site was acquired for housing in 1997–98.
The building is now privately owned and has been renamed the National Lift Tower. Following extensive renovation and repairs, the tower was re-opened for business in October 2009. The tower is used by lift companies for research, development, testing and marketing. As well as being a resource for the lift industry, the building is also available to companies requiring tall vertical spaces, for example companies wishing to test working-at-height safety devices.
There are six lift shafts of varying heights and speeds, including a high speed shaft with a travel of 100 metres and a theoretical maximum speed of 10 m/s.
The tower's renovation was officially completed in July 2010. Further building work was planned with planning permission being sought to build a visitor's centre incorporating a 100-seater auditorium and cafe. However, permission for this structure was denied by Northampton Borough Council in March 2012.
Considering the height being in here felt strangely like being in a submarine
Halfway Up
Up at the business end
This floor really does feel like a lighthouse
Good view of The saints from here
To go any higher its only stairs
Im not awfully keen on heights so this was quite a challenge but glad I did it, it was physically harder than I imagined, with over 400ft of rope hanging below you, you had to lift the full weight of the rope to let the figure of 8 move which is something Id not expected or experienced before. At about halfway your body weight takes over the rope weight & you have to lock the rope as in a traditional abseil, very strange.
I also hadnt anticipated the contour of the building, meaning for a period about a third down you are off the side of the building in a free air abseil.
It was a great buzz but I wont be rushing back.
Thanks For Looking
