What Are Those Things?

p.s. This is the kind of odd stuff I think about when I've got no girlfriend around.

Depends whether they are full or empty. They are gas holders.

"Essentially a Victorian creation, Gas holders were first used in london in the early 19th century to store coal gas used to fuel the growing networks of street lamps across the capital. By the mid 19th century gas lamps were common in most towns and city's creating not only demand for street lighting but the first domestic gas supplies. The increase in demand meant gasworks and holders were created in virtually every town and city.

Coal gas was the main source of UK gas until the 1960's when oil and natural gas reserves were discovered in the north sea. The change in supply meant that many gasworks and holders across the country were surplus to requirements and over the next forty years many disappeared."



This trio of listed gasholders were designed and built between 1879 and 1881 for the Gas, Light and Coke Company. They replaced an earlier group built by a former competitor, the Imperial, and even made use of the old tanks. The uprights of the holder cage are made of cast iron, designed to resemble classical columns; structurally the group is unique, because they are tied together or linked. Until our recent research, the history of the site and the structures were imperfectly understood, but it is now clear that the close spacing of three relatively small gasholders resulted from difficulties of building on a cramped inner city site, at a time of expanding demand for gas. Kings Cross, London

Steve, thank you!

I wondered if that was the case (I was thinking structure for obsolescent water tower too)... Gas holders were referred to in Mother London by Michael Moorcock which I read recently, but not described. So I take it that the tank part of the holders are removed in the examples shown in the photo. I saw a few of the holders back in the 80's when I wandered around London, particularly south of the Thames; Battersea, Wandsworth, Lambeth (? - memory fades) etc., or other areas where 'modern' development hadn't quite obliterated the pre-War city.

I have a book of photographs of London circa 1900: I'll have to look to see if there are any gas holder visible in the background.

Gasometers as they were known. They were sectioned expandable tanks "sealed" by a water gasket I believe. Made redundant by North Sea Gas.

A host of gasometers well known to millions of World Service listeners.

Between Vienna centre and the airport there are collection of brick gasometers that have now been converted into shops and apartments (I believe)

For more info see
Gasometer town

They are a most amazing site on the drive into town from the airport

"Gas Holders, Sometimes incorrectly known as Gasometers were once a common sight in every town and city across the country..." says the delightfuly named abandoned-britain.com (would the last person out switch off the light). So a nerd would say that technically they are "gas holders" (gasometers measure gas flow through pipes).

I guess the most "famous" now is the one near the Oval cricket ground:



Must go nurse is calling

Steve

Thank you, gentlemen!

Acquiring this information gives me the same sort of buzz as seeing a "chrome bumper" Nait or Great War-vintage biplane; a true trainspotter's gotcha.

You're being lied to. It's where we Brits used to put the mad, bad and the orphaned. Then the roof would drop down and squish them all.

How the music on the disc?

C

Do a Google on "gasometers" and see what comes up.

For the pedantly minded.
Technically all Hoovers are vacuum cleaners but it dosn't stop them being called hoovers.

quote:

Originally posted by Sir Cycle Sexy:
You're being lied to. It's where we Brits used to put the mad, bad and the orphaned. Then the roof would drop down and squish them all.

How the music on the disc?

C

What disc?

...

Oh, the Squarepusher one; well, it's very progressive Drum'n'Bass stuff, with live musicians playing too. Were it not for the sliced-up sampled drum breaks, it's the sort of thing that'd be filed in the Jazz or Fusion bin at the shop.

Disappointingly, none of the tunes seem to be about gasholders or Victoriana.

Whoops, there goes the cheese alarm...

Cheers,
Bruce