… of the cooling towers

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On Friday I climbed the Wrekin Hill, as did many other local people. The Wrekin was a good vantage point to watch the controlled demolition of the iconic cooling towers that have been prominent in the Ironbridge Gorge since the 1960s.

I am sad to see them go, they were part of our industrial history. The valley will not be replanted with trees but filled with houses, so not really an improvement to the landscape.

The photos of the towers collapsing were taken by Mr C, I just wanted to soak up the atmosphere of the historic moment in time.

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Photo taken by Mr C

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Photo taken by Mr C

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The Ironbridge cooling towers were demolished at 11 am on the 6th of December 2019. This photo is from a similar viewpoint (of the photo above) from the last time I climbed the Wrekin. It was taken at a similar time of day in early December 2005 before the power station had been decommissioned.

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12 Comments CherryPie on Dec 8th 2019

12 Responses to “Demolition…”

  1. The Cooling Towers, “we are not crying, you are crying”.
    Every end is a new beginning.

    • CherryPie says:

      It would be nice if the new beginning was trees rather than houses.

      The cooling towers were much cooler than a large housing estate in the middle of the valley.

  2. A change in time…Hopeful someone document this and take it to local musuem.

  3. lowcarbdiabeticJan says:

    It’s amazing how these cooling towers come down … it is a sight to see, but so often a sad sight.
    I wish they would plant some trees where they stood …

    All the best Jan

    • CherryPie says:

      I wouldn’t have been so sad about them coming down if the area was going to be repopulated with trees. The valley needs trees not houses but I suppose there is no profit in planting trees…

  4. Bernard (still resting) says:

    “There’s always been a photographer
    To record the happy scene”

    [Chorus]
    “Hold it, flash, bang, wallop, what a picture
    What a picture, what a photograph
    Poor old towers, blimey what a joke
    All blown up in a cloud of smoke
    Clap hands, stamp your feet
    Banging on the big bass drum
    What a picture, what a picture
    Um-tiddly-um-pum-um-pum-pum
    Stick it in your family album”

  5. Historic shots. We need housing – and today’s estates aren’t as bad as yesterday’s (which too many people are still living in). I have never climbed The Wrekin – that ‘to visit’ list never gets any shorter!

    • CherryPie says:

      I live on an estate and it is lovely. In my area the estates they build are not nearly as nice as where I live. The road infrastructure in the area will need careful planning as it leads to a tourist area which is busy in summer.

      You should climb the Wrekin with the remains of a hill fort and bronze aged barrows. The nearby Ercall woods are also well worth a visit for their geological features.

      This route was written a few years ago and needs checking for current access but the history remains :-)

      And recently restored is the Wrekin Halfway House providing refreshments at certain times of day. This is a lovely memory brought back to life for me :-)

  6. It won’t quite be the same without seeing the towers when on the way to Ironbridge.

    I’ve yet to climb The Wrekin, but I have driven around it (and what a journey that was!). :D

    Merry Christmas!