Been sitting on this one for a bit with view to going back in the daylight but really, now the nights are drawing in, the time has passed this year so it can go loose. Its the latest in the long line of control room conquests. I first noticed it back in 2011 when i was looking around after finding those ones at Barking. It caught my eye as the roof has a distinct curved section and it just screamed control room.. Thing is back then i was really more looking at derelict examples and this building is still at least partially live. Live substations arnt really a good place to mess around so I didn't think much more about it until recently when i managed to get hold of an original opening brochure.. Bloody hell it looked a bit promising so i swung into action over Christmas and did a few recces etc. Not easy but there was a sneaky way without being seen on the cameras. I was fully prepared to run into alarms or be wandering through a totally live building at first but the more i looked at it and further i got the more it seemed that the main chunk of the place wasn't used at all. Dropping into a dark empty switch room was actually a bit of a relief.
I tentatively made my way through into the main event and well, gutted! it was absolute perfection apart from the one bit you really hope to be left in there. The panels themselves! Even some of the dials and gauges are still there but not the actual panels.. I still cant decide if its an epic find or a bit of a fail so you will have to decide for yourself. The quest continues i guess!
Dont need to write any history for this one..
The switch gear back in the day
Info on the main event
The shoddy photo that peaked my interest..
Not to mention the full floor plans and elevations. The part to the left of the loading bay has been redeveloped into a more modern substation now.
That distinctive curved section on the roof was the give away. Its actually a floor above the room itself and is some kind of light well. The doors were all screwed to get inside tho..
The switch gear now all gone. There were a few interesting bits left like the turntables in the floor that made a massive crash when i stepped on it in the dark walking to switch the lights on!
This is pretty much the view in the brochure image
Heres the old main entrance and lobby. The door would have lead out into the old loading bay but now goes into the live section of the building. I didn't try it..
Behind the main door there is a door through into the cable basement. I forgot to take a wide shot but found this nice little sign for the neons that were once on the front of the building to 'showcase electricity' This part was semi live, some modern switch gear and cables and some redundant stuff
Above the main entrance lobby there is a small office and toilet.
With discarded key store
I actually entered the control room from the back. Spotting all this stuff still in situe i was hyped..
Not so much once i had walked round to the front..
Still what an epic room! One of the best yet even with missing panels
The original desk was still in place and full of paperwork suggesting this room was still in use in the 1990s
The lighting setup was pretty crazy too, glass ceiling similar to Hams Hall
Remains of the panels close up
Quite a few gauges still to see..
View attachment 757192
I tentatively made my way through into the main event and well, gutted! it was absolute perfection apart from the one bit you really hope to be left in there. The panels themselves! Even some of the dials and gauges are still there but not the actual panels.. I still cant decide if its an epic find or a bit of a fail so you will have to decide for yourself. The quest continues i guess!
Dont need to write any history for this one..
The switch gear back in the day
Info on the main event
The shoddy photo that peaked my interest..
Not to mention the full floor plans and elevations. The part to the left of the loading bay has been redeveloped into a more modern substation now.
That distinctive curved section on the roof was the give away. Its actually a floor above the room itself and is some kind of light well. The doors were all screwed to get inside tho..
The switch gear now all gone. There were a few interesting bits left like the turntables in the floor that made a massive crash when i stepped on it in the dark walking to switch the lights on!
This is pretty much the view in the brochure image
Heres the old main entrance and lobby. The door would have lead out into the old loading bay but now goes into the live section of the building. I didn't try it..
Behind the main door there is a door through into the cable basement. I forgot to take a wide shot but found this nice little sign for the neons that were once on the front of the building to 'showcase electricity' This part was semi live, some modern switch gear and cables and some redundant stuff
Above the main entrance lobby there is a small office and toilet.
With discarded key store
I actually entered the control room from the back. Spotting all this stuff still in situe i was hyped..
Not so much once i had walked round to the front..
Still what an epic room! One of the best yet even with missing panels
The original desk was still in place and full of paperwork suggesting this room was still in use in the 1990s
The lighting setup was pretty crazy too, glass ceiling similar to Hams Hall
Remains of the panels close up
Quite a few gauges still to see..
View attachment 757192
Last edited: