Report - Southbank Coke Workshops and Gas Holder - Teesside Steelworks - March 2022

[Speed]

Another update from life on Teesside..

Its been about a year now since i posted about the ongoing steelworks demolition. The situation on site has changed quite a bit over the last year. The crazy alarms and army of security Hiluxs that responded to them now thankfully seem to be a thing of the past. Lots has gone and demolition is in full swing on more or less everything now but on the plus side the work continues to open up opportunities to see some pretty epic stuff that has been next to impossible for the last 5 or 6 years and the place continues to deliver the goods!

I think im pretty much done with Redcar and Lakenby now so we concentrated our most recent trip on the remains of Southbank. I think people have considered Southbank the lesser of the 3 works but really what it lacks in scale it more than makes up for in age. Its amazing just how much difference an extra 20 years of age can make to the quality of an explore! We made the usual trek in over no mans land without really seeing a soul. Immediately found the bottom floor of the blower house open so spent a while in there getting a feel for activity on site.. Long story short there didnt seem to be any! Was simple enough from there to head down to the main workshop building. This is a part of the works ive been keen to see inside since day one but on initial trips it was still in use and on later trips we never really got close before we had to retreat again. This time the door was just swinging and wow what a gem we have been missing out on! It really was A+ industrial exploring, a cracking 50s building and far more elaborate inside than I was expecting with loads of kit left to pick over. We spent a good couple of hours in there before deciding to move onto the gas holder. It was now or never for this. They had cut rather a large hole in the side and removed the moving parts so you could say we were a little late but i was still glad to get to see inside one after dragging my heels at all the previous examples.. From there we had another quick peek in and around the scrubber pump house before heading back out under cover of darkness..

Really glad i made the effort for another trip. Could easily have written the place off and every time we say 'that's probably the last trip' it thankfully never is!

Blower House

Workshops

Gas Holder

​

 

[The Amateur Wanderer]

I think people have considered Southbank the lesser of the 3 works but really what it lacks in scale it more than makes up for in age. Its amazing just how much difference an extra 20 years of age can make to the quality of an explore!

Described perfectly, excellent report mate, parts I haven't seen myself so another visit (potentially final) due to be booked in for sure.

 

[Calamity Jane]

Really like this. Old industrial goodness. The signs are great. Liking the old brick walls and covered lights, and of course the old equipment. Proper steelworks

 

[Bikin Glynn]

Thats really nice, great bit of industrial well captured.

 

[Terminal Decline]

Liking it a lot. It's easy to overlook lesser areas like this when you have the vast edifices just up the road, but Southbank certainly has a quality to it which the more recent structures lack. As you say, not a lot of time separating the works, but the character found here is virtually non-existent in the British Steel Corporation developments.

 

[Speed]

Aye. Southbank is what I long for every explore to be like again.

 

[KPUrban_]

Nice to see more of this place, it's a vast expanse with so much easily overlooked.

Initially missed this, apologies for the late comment.