This is one that I have wanted to see for a couple of years now, various plans have been made and cancelled, various attempts have failed due to the sheer amount of activity in the port. I know people who have been collared for just walking round the port with tripods on their bags!
This time round we got to 'that camera' and said sod it, a quick crawl and run later and we were in.
Visited with HiddenShadow
I'm sure most of you know the history on this, but for anyone that doesnt. The Gimsby Ice factory is a grade II* listed structure comprising two main buildings completed in 1901 and 1910 respectively, there was a small extension made to the first building in the 1950's containing offices and No5 compressor.
Original picture of the extension and No5
The Ice Factory is considered to have been vital to the Grimsby fishing industry and by extension to Grimsby as a whole. It is now thought to be the only remaining example in Europe of this type of industry, as a result even the external railings are listed.
Sadly the strict terms of the listing are probably the reason it's still rotting away on the dockside. Any development must include all the original machinery in situ, making the building pretty much unusable.
A survey in 2010 estimated that £1.5 million needs to be spent on immediate temporary repairs, or £4.75 million to get the building into a suitable condition to begin any development.
I think it's safe to say nothing is going to happen soon
The above is fairly typical of the condition of the place now. Some of the dodgiest floors I've had the pleasure of not falling through.
Now, and then.
Some sinage.
Word of warning, the gantrys surrounding these condenser tanks are now so rotten that a couple of them disintegrated into dust when HS tried to walk on them!
One of the moulds showing where the ice blocks would be tipped out.
And another old photo showing the blocks of ice as they would have left the mould.
Cheers
This time round we got to 'that camera' and said sod it, a quick crawl and run later and we were in.
Visited with HiddenShadow
I'm sure most of you know the history on this, but for anyone that doesnt. The Gimsby Ice factory is a grade II* listed structure comprising two main buildings completed in 1901 and 1910 respectively, there was a small extension made to the first building in the 1950's containing offices and No5 compressor.
Original picture of the extension and No5
The Ice Factory is considered to have been vital to the Grimsby fishing industry and by extension to Grimsby as a whole. It is now thought to be the only remaining example in Europe of this type of industry, as a result even the external railings are listed.
Sadly the strict terms of the listing are probably the reason it's still rotting away on the dockside. Any development must include all the original machinery in situ, making the building pretty much unusable.
A survey in 2010 estimated that £1.5 million needs to be spent on immediate temporary repairs, or £4.75 million to get the building into a suitable condition to begin any development.
I think it's safe to say nothing is going to happen soon
The above is fairly typical of the condition of the place now. Some of the dodgiest floors I've had the pleasure of not falling through.
Now, and then.
Some sinage.
Word of warning, the gantrys surrounding these condenser tanks are now so rotten that a couple of them disintegrated into dust when HS tried to walk on them!
One of the moulds showing where the ice blocks would be tipped out.
And another old photo showing the blocks of ice as they would have left the mould.
Cheers
