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Report - - Wallerscote Island Soda Ash Works - Winnington - May 2016 | Industrial Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - Wallerscote Island Soda Ash Works - Winnington - May 2016

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keat_expo

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Well I know what you're all thinking; not this place again... what a tourist! Cut me some slack though as this is literally round the corner from me so it's like me local stomping ground :p and i just want to get a few reports up.

History:
Pretty sure everyone knows about this place already, but for a recap, Wallerscote Island is situated on the river Weaver in the North West of England near Northwich. In 1873 an Industrialist named John Brunner and a Chemist by the name of Ludwig Mond formed a soda ash manufacturing business. They used brine solution, ammonia and limestone to produce sodium carbonate in pure form.
By 1881, the partnership was well established and became a limited company, producing 200,000 tons of soda ash each year. Brunner Mond established themselves as the country's biggest soda ash producer and continued to expand. In time, Brunner Mond & Co. provided virtually all of Britain's soda ash, and became the world's largest alkali exporter. Wallerscote island Works was completed in 1926. The company later became part of ICI which is now owned by Tata.
The company has sold the Wallerscote site to the Winnington Urban Village Consortium (consisting of Taylor Woodrow Development, Morris Homes and Barratt Homes) who is now taking the project ('Northwich Vision') forward. Vale Royal Borough Council in April 2007 approved the outline planning and shortly afterwards site preparation started. The company's remaining activities on the Wallerscote site – warehousing and finished goods storage and dispatch – will be relocated over the next few years as the urban village development progresses with the last stage being the demolition of the large silos on Wallerscote island.

Explore:
So i've been on this site quite a lot but not always had the intention of photographing it, however as demolition got under way i just had to get some photos before it goes. Well that didn't work out as planned! i had multiple problems with my camera and when all was going as planned my mates phone went off very loudly in the factory followed by security chasing us. :D So apologies I only got pictures with my phone. Fun explore as ever, really love this place. Currently demo is well under way (hence me posting this now as doubt I will get in again :() the exterior metal walls of the factory have all been taken down and all outbuildings have been demod. Seems like this place is actually going down quicker than I first thought it would, will be interesting to see how they take the silos down as they're massive.

Photos....
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Well we never found the main control room but this will do
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Inside one of the silos, you can see why this place is nicknamed the 'snow factory'. You can actually taste the soda ash in the air :confused:
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photogenic clock
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Cheers :thumb
 

Speed

Got Epic?
Regular User
It answered my question on whether the bathhouse is still there so not effot wasted.
 

keat_expo

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
It answered my question on whether the bathhouse is still there so not effot wasted.
Glad. Could you describe to me which bit is the bath house though as these pictures were nearly a month ago so it may have gone?
 

Speed

Got Epic?
Regular User
I think the one im referring to is now the pile of rubble in this photo, it had some really interesting signs in it about throwing tea leaves out of the window and crazy stuff like that. Would liked to have saved them but alas too late!

 

keat_expo

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
I think the one im referring to is now the pile of rubble in this photo, it had some really interesting signs in it about throwing tea leaves out of the window and crazy stuff like that. Would liked to have saved them but alas too late!
Yes it will have gone now, all outbuidlings have been demolished. Shame i saw your pictures of the signs they looked great. would've loved to have that tea leaf one in my kitchen.
 

keat_expo

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Buggeration, looks like I missed out on that then, I went straight over to Winnington skipping Wallescote!
May still be time! I need to work on getting into that side now. Could you pm me the best sort of time to go? Whenever I've been over there's people buzzing round everywhere.
 
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