Ok im going to say it, BEST POWER STATION EVER! Ok its hard to make a comparison between this and Battersea for example but out of the Inverkip/Methil/Tilbury etc etc. pool this is by far the best ive been in. My previous favorite would probably have been Methil. Inverkip was big and clean but was bland and lacked a feeling of 'age'. The control room was indeed excellent but the rest a bit meh for me, almost too big. Methil was much smaller, older, had quality pink turbines and a nice little control room but it was derelict and some parts hard to appreciate in the darkness. Uskmouth really took the vibe of Methil and turned it up to the max. Approaching the station you can just tell its going to be better than the LCPD closures most of with are from the 60s and 70s. Uskmouth was completed in the late 50s and even that few years difference makes a massive difference to the feeling of the place. The building is brick for a start, the chimney a lovely faceted concrete affair that has more in common with 1920s designs than those of just 5 years later. Inside, although still really quite live and definitely well lit up you might as well have still been in the 50s. There was a handful of modern bits around the flue scrubbers and a few computer screens in the control rooms but the rest was a sea of grimy machinery and old signage.
Explore wise it wasn't easy. Clebby did the recce's and although he had been given a couple of hints it was no walk in. We faffed for about 3 hours trying different options and routes while security circled in their little white truck but in the end we worked out how to get into the majority and i must say i enjoyed it much more then just following a set of instructions. Inside i started off feeling pretty confident but as we neared the turbine hall and control rooms things got more edgy. Contractors are currently stripping the turbines and the control rooms felt like a man was going to walk in the door the any time. It didn't help that it was blowing a gale outside, doors were banging and metal creaking all over the place! Glad i didn't miss out here.
Explore wise it wasn't easy. Clebby did the recce's and although he had been given a couple of hints it was no walk in. We faffed for about 3 hours trying different options and routes while security circled in their little white truck but in the end we worked out how to get into the majority and i must say i enjoyed it much more then just following a set of instructions. Inside i started off feeling pretty confident but as we neared the turbine hall and control rooms things got more edgy. Contractors are currently stripping the turbines and the control rooms felt like a man was going to walk in the door the any time. It didn't help that it was blowing a gale outside, doors were banging and metal creaking all over the place! Glad i didn't miss out here.
Turbine Hall
Control Rooms
Control Rooms