~Been climbing gas for a while now so I thought I would do a bumper report on them~
Little bit of history~
Built mainly in Victorian times, the term gasometer was originally coined by William Murdoch, the inventor of gas lighting, in the early 19th century. Despite the objections of his associates that his so-called "gazometer" was not a meter but a container, the name was retained and came into general use. The term "gasometer" is discouraged for use in technical circles, where the term "gasholder" is preferred.
They first appeared around the 1830's, a British invention and were an efficient way of storing gas at low pressure. Even the most recent built gas holders still uses the same basic mechanical method - gas fed in from a pipeline which pushes up each of the individual storage chambers in turn. The rim of each chamber is sealed by water and with no room for air it prevents the holder from igniting.
Sadly now Gas holders are now on the decline, slowly being dismantled or demo'd which takes a fraction of the time - as seen in this video...BG&E Melvale Gas Holder -- Controlled Demolition, Inc. - YouTube
Transco, the pipeline arm of the former British Gas monolith announced plans ten years ago to dismantle virtually all its 550 gasometer's across the UK.
On rare instances the holders have been saved from being dismantled and go on to become useful structures. Four holders in Vienna have gone on to become a form of village with indoor facilities including a music hall (capacity 2000 - 3000 people), movie theatre, student dormitory, municipal archive, and so on. There are about 800 apartments with 1600 regular tenants, as well as about 70 student apartments with 250 students in residence.
~Guess this all started when Analepsis and I were wandering around Stratford in early 2012. Our original target for the night was a no go so Analepsis suggested the West Ham Gasometer's.
These are a cluster of 8 gas holders, all no taller than 3 ladders but since there are so many they are still one of my favourites. Access was fun and we were soon wandering about and up the structures. This cluster was built between 1872 and 1878 and stopped production in the 1960s. Like the few remaining holders, gas still flows through the pipes and can be heard, especially in winter.
Beckton~
Greenwich is another favourite, just because it's so tall. There was twin gas holder until it was dismantled, they were built in 1886.
Gasometers appear everywhere and not just in industrial estates.
As towns and cities have grown, gas holders have often fitted in alongside residential areas, although many of them now sit forgotten.
This one in Southgate I did with Winch is probably the derpiest one I've done - though Bromley is a close second~
The last remaining holder in Hull - still currently in use.
Croydon - an interesting holder as you are able to walk around the top.
Saltley Gas holders are a nice pair.
Also in Birmingham there is a second gas holder site which is a bit trickier to get in.
Little bit of history~
Built mainly in Victorian times, the term gasometer was originally coined by William Murdoch, the inventor of gas lighting, in the early 19th century. Despite the objections of his associates that his so-called "gazometer" was not a meter but a container, the name was retained and came into general use. The term "gasometer" is discouraged for use in technical circles, where the term "gasholder" is preferred.
They first appeared around the 1830's, a British invention and were an efficient way of storing gas at low pressure. Even the most recent built gas holders still uses the same basic mechanical method - gas fed in from a pipeline which pushes up each of the individual storage chambers in turn. The rim of each chamber is sealed by water and with no room for air it prevents the holder from igniting.
Sadly now Gas holders are now on the decline, slowly being dismantled or demo'd which takes a fraction of the time - as seen in this video...BG&E Melvale Gas Holder -- Controlled Demolition, Inc. - YouTube
Transco, the pipeline arm of the former British Gas monolith announced plans ten years ago to dismantle virtually all its 550 gasometer's across the UK.
On rare instances the holders have been saved from being dismantled and go on to become useful structures. Four holders in Vienna have gone on to become a form of village with indoor facilities including a music hall (capacity 2000 - 3000 people), movie theatre, student dormitory, municipal archive, and so on. There are about 800 apartments with 1600 regular tenants, as well as about 70 student apartments with 250 students in residence.
~Guess this all started when Analepsis and I were wandering around Stratford in early 2012. Our original target for the night was a no go so Analepsis suggested the West Ham Gasometer's.
These are a cluster of 8 gas holders, all no taller than 3 ladders but since there are so many they are still one of my favourites. Access was fun and we were soon wandering about and up the structures. This cluster was built between 1872 and 1878 and stopped production in the 1960s. Like the few remaining holders, gas still flows through the pipes and can be heard, especially in winter.
Beckton~
Greenwich is another favourite, just because it's so tall. There was twin gas holder until it was dismantled, they were built in 1886.
Gasometers appear everywhere and not just in industrial estates.
As towns and cities have grown, gas holders have often fitted in alongside residential areas, although many of them now sit forgotten.
This one in Southgate I did with Winch is probably the derpiest one I've done - though Bromley is a close second~
The last remaining holder in Hull - still currently in use.
Croydon - an interesting holder as you are able to walk around the top.
Saltley Gas holders are a nice pair.
Also in Birmingham there is a second gas holder site which is a bit trickier to get in.
:
who drove by rather slowly but didn't think I looked suspicious enough to question 
