Victorian gas tower to disappear from Hull's skyline after 165 years
- Published
Work on dismantling the structure started in January
A Victorian gas tower that has dominated Hull's skyline for 165 years will be gone for good once demolition work is completed next month.
Gas Holder No.5 which has stood at the Clough Road site since 1858, will be removed by mid-June.
Owners Northern Gas Network said such gas holders were no longer needed because of advancements in storage.
The company plans to give the council an archaeological building record of it due to its historical interest.
The demolition is part of Northern Gas Networks' plans to remove 47 holders from across its network, including the No.8 below ground at the Hull site, by 2026.
Telescopic gas holders were invented in 1824
Gas works were first established on the Bank Side site in 1826 and were rebuilt in 1858, according to the Hull Local Heritage Trust.
The structure is the only surviving one in Hull related to the British Gas Light Company, founded in 1824.
Hull and Norwich were home to the company's two most important stations. Gas Holder No.5 operated along with a major coal gas works in Sculcoates, east Hull.
Telescopic gas holders like No. 5, with containers which rose and fell depending on the amount of substance in them, were invented in 1824 and the first was built in Leeds.
Mark Johnson, senior project manager, said the metal framework of the Hull structure would be removed by the middle of next month, with the below ground gasometer dismantled by October.
He added: "For over 100 years, gas holders were a vital part of the gas network.
"But advances in network technology mean they are no longer needed as the gas network itself is a giant storage system which responds to peaks in demand."
Mr Johnson said he recognised how important the structures were to communities and urged anyone with memories of the holder to share them by emailing gasholdermemories@northerngasnetworks.co.uk.
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