First of all, apologies for being so quiet recently, I haven’t been particularly productive on the exploring front this year, and I’ve been really poor at churning out reports. It’s about bloody time I got my act together.
History
Redcar Coke Ovens were constructed by Gibbons Wilputte for British Steel, as part of their new Redcar Iron Works, and opened in 1978. It consists of two batteries of 66, 5-meter-high ovens, either side of a twin pair of charging towers. The site produced coke to be used in the blast furnace, a product which was created by baking coal to high temperatures, in the absence of oxygen.
Following privatization of British Steel in 1988, the works changed hands several times, before finally coming into the possession of Thailand-based Sahaviriya Steel Industries (SSI). SSI went bust in dramatic fashion back in October 2015, and the iron works at Redcar, together with their nearby sites at Lackenby and Southbank were closed for good. Demolition of the coke works commenced in late summer of this year, although at the time of my visit only a few of the surrounding structures had been removed.
The Explore
Visited with @ikkdjct, and was later joined by @slayaaaa and @Boba Low.
Due to various setbacks, it was already approaching the end of September by the time I was able to return to Teesside, three months after my previous visit. A lot had changed since then, particularly at Southbank Coke Works - the two charging towers and the chimney had been demolished only a week earlier, which I was gutted to have missed out on. Over at Redcar much more of the conveyor network had disappeared, together with the circular cooling structure of the sinter plant, the quenching towers of the coke ovens, and a whole host of other more minor structures.
During the late afternoon in which we arrived at Teesside, I paid a final visit to catch the sad remains of the battery of Southbank Coke Works. The charging tower of the 70s battery, which had apparently fallen over intact at demolition, was now just a heap of twisted rebar and chunks of concrete, and only around a quarter of the ovens were still standing – two weeks later there was nothing left.
After staying on site until sunset, I headed over to Redcar, and after a few hours of sleep on the sand dunes I headed into the site. My plan was to start on the south eastern side and work my way to the coke works at the opposite end, where I would meet up at ikkdjct. Utilizing the conveyor network to make my way across the site took me much longer than I expected, so it was already late morning by the time I reached ikkdjct.
Despite it being a weekend, there was still some work occurring on site, though mostly limited to the raw materials handling facilities area to the west. Demolition is in the early stages on the coke works, with some of the outer structures being removed, however this at least means all the sensors had gone which made it quite a relaxed explore once we had climbed onto the ovens. We spent the whole afternoon at the site, there was plenty to photograph on the ovens, and a great view from the charging towers. For the first time I'd brought my big 150mm prime lens with me on an explore, which at as site as vast as Redcar, was great for taking detailed photos of the distant structures. By the time it began to get dark we didn't really have the energy to try any other areas of the site, and we made our way out with ease.
Southbank Coke Works
I'd already made several visits to Southbank so I didn't see anything new, but it's always nice to get a few more photos of a structure which will soon be history. I still haven't spent much time looking around the by-products plant, but there wasn't enough time on this occasion, and there were still plenty of sensors on my previous visit.
For a look around the coke works when the site was still quite intact here's a link to my previous report: Southbank Coke Works
First up, a general view of the remains of the coke oven battery. The ovens themselves may have gone now, but the by-products plant is still mostly intact.
The mangled remains of the charging tower of the 1970s battery.
Looking towards the by-products plant at sunset.
Looking towards the BOS plant from South Bank Station footbridge two weeks later. The pile of concrete on the left is the remains of the charging tower which bore the Dorman Long name.
The wreckage of the Dorman Long tower. A campaign to get the building listed was successful... ...for barely a week, when the new culture secretary decided Teesside wasn't enough of a shithole already and revoked the listed status. Luckily for Teesworks, the demolition team had still been carrying out preparation while the tower was supposedly protected, meaning it could swiftly be brought down just days after the structure had been de-listed, before anyone changed their mind.
The gas holder and by-products plant.
Redcar Coke Works
The coke works from the distant sand dunes, back in June, the pipework belongs to the by-products plant.
Redcar Iron Works from Redcar Beach.
Once in the site I headed up to the blast furnace stock house to grab some shots of the blast furnace with my long lens, the view really was superb, but the structure it was taken from has now been demolished.
Redcar Coke Works at sunrise.
Inside a filthy conveyor tower.
One of the upper floors of the conveyor tower.
The yellow machines shown here are the coke guide cars, used to remove the oven doors and direct the coke into the wagons.
Coke ovens on the left and by-products to the right.
The twin charging towers and chimneys at the centre of the coke ovens.
The view over part of the by-products plant from the charging tower.
Looking the other way towards the blast furnace.
The western battery.
Looking towards Able Docks, showing Brent Alpha, together with some fresh rigs from Loggs Gas Field, and Hartlepool Nuclear Power Station.
The operational area of the raw materials handling plant, now called Redcar Bulk Terminal, with the mass of Seal Sands Refinery behind.
Detail of the by-products plant.
Redcar Sinter Plant. Report here: Redcar Sinter Plant
Redcar Blast Furnace.
The east charging tower offered a fantastic view over the whole Redcar site.
History
Redcar Coke Ovens were constructed by Gibbons Wilputte for British Steel, as part of their new Redcar Iron Works, and opened in 1978. It consists of two batteries of 66, 5-meter-high ovens, either side of a twin pair of charging towers. The site produced coke to be used in the blast furnace, a product which was created by baking coal to high temperatures, in the absence of oxygen.
Following privatization of British Steel in 1988, the works changed hands several times, before finally coming into the possession of Thailand-based Sahaviriya Steel Industries (SSI). SSI went bust in dramatic fashion back in October 2015, and the iron works at Redcar, together with their nearby sites at Lackenby and Southbank were closed for good. Demolition of the coke works commenced in late summer of this year, although at the time of my visit only a few of the surrounding structures had been removed.
The Explore
Visited with @ikkdjct, and was later joined by @slayaaaa and @Boba Low.
Due to various setbacks, it was already approaching the end of September by the time I was able to return to Teesside, three months after my previous visit. A lot had changed since then, particularly at Southbank Coke Works - the two charging towers and the chimney had been demolished only a week earlier, which I was gutted to have missed out on. Over at Redcar much more of the conveyor network had disappeared, together with the circular cooling structure of the sinter plant, the quenching towers of the coke ovens, and a whole host of other more minor structures.
During the late afternoon in which we arrived at Teesside, I paid a final visit to catch the sad remains of the battery of Southbank Coke Works. The charging tower of the 70s battery, which had apparently fallen over intact at demolition, was now just a heap of twisted rebar and chunks of concrete, and only around a quarter of the ovens were still standing – two weeks later there was nothing left.
After staying on site until sunset, I headed over to Redcar, and after a few hours of sleep on the sand dunes I headed into the site. My plan was to start on the south eastern side and work my way to the coke works at the opposite end, where I would meet up at ikkdjct. Utilizing the conveyor network to make my way across the site took me much longer than I expected, so it was already late morning by the time I reached ikkdjct.
Despite it being a weekend, there was still some work occurring on site, though mostly limited to the raw materials handling facilities area to the west. Demolition is in the early stages on the coke works, with some of the outer structures being removed, however this at least means all the sensors had gone which made it quite a relaxed explore once we had climbed onto the ovens. We spent the whole afternoon at the site, there was plenty to photograph on the ovens, and a great view from the charging towers. For the first time I'd brought my big 150mm prime lens with me on an explore, which at as site as vast as Redcar, was great for taking detailed photos of the distant structures. By the time it began to get dark we didn't really have the energy to try any other areas of the site, and we made our way out with ease.
Southbank Coke Works
I'd already made several visits to Southbank so I didn't see anything new, but it's always nice to get a few more photos of a structure which will soon be history. I still haven't spent much time looking around the by-products plant, but there wasn't enough time on this occasion, and there were still plenty of sensors on my previous visit.
For a look around the coke works when the site was still quite intact here's a link to my previous report: Southbank Coke Works
First up, a general view of the remains of the coke oven battery. The ovens themselves may have gone now, but the by-products plant is still mostly intact.
The mangled remains of the charging tower of the 1970s battery.
Looking towards the by-products plant at sunset.
Looking towards the BOS plant from South Bank Station footbridge two weeks later. The pile of concrete on the left is the remains of the charging tower which bore the Dorman Long name.
The wreckage of the Dorman Long tower. A campaign to get the building listed was successful... ...for barely a week, when the new culture secretary decided Teesside wasn't enough of a shithole already and revoked the listed status. Luckily for Teesworks, the demolition team had still been carrying out preparation while the tower was supposedly protected, meaning it could swiftly be brought down just days after the structure had been de-listed, before anyone changed their mind.
The gas holder and by-products plant.
Redcar Coke Works
The coke works from the distant sand dunes, back in June, the pipework belongs to the by-products plant.
Redcar Iron Works from Redcar Beach.
Once in the site I headed up to the blast furnace stock house to grab some shots of the blast furnace with my long lens, the view really was superb, but the structure it was taken from has now been demolished.
Redcar Coke Works at sunrise.
Inside a filthy conveyor tower.
One of the upper floors of the conveyor tower.
The yellow machines shown here are the coke guide cars, used to remove the oven doors and direct the coke into the wagons.
Coke ovens on the left and by-products to the right.
The twin charging towers and chimneys at the centre of the coke ovens.
The view over part of the by-products plant from the charging tower.
Looking the other way towards the blast furnace.
The western battery.
Looking towards Able Docks, showing Brent Alpha, together with some fresh rigs from Loggs Gas Field, and Hartlepool Nuclear Power Station.
The operational area of the raw materials handling plant, now called Redcar Bulk Terminal, with the mass of Seal Sands Refinery behind.
Detail of the by-products plant.
Redcar Sinter Plant. Report here: Redcar Sinter Plant
Redcar Blast Furnace.
The east charging tower offered a fantastic view over the whole Redcar site.
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