I live in Askern and when I was about 12 years old I had a friend who lived next door to one of the workers at Thorp marsh. M y friend asked if there was a chance to look round the power station and told him to write to the manager. he did and we were invited to go round all the power station. One of the workers took us round and even on top of the turbine hall roof what a great day that was that I will never forget. At that time I lived along the A19 On Doncster road and I could see at least the cooling towers being built one by one.
i live in moorends and worked at thorpe marsh when it closed, stripping out the cooling towers. glad to see the site is to be used as a national grid battery storage facility (utilising the old railway to bring in all the new equipment)
I grew up within sight of Thorpe Marsh. Once it had closed it took forever for demolition to be completed, but during this time between closure and demolition on the train between Doncaster and York as we passed within view of the power station a guy on the next table was talking confidently about the 'nuclear power station' we were passing and giving non existent facts about it to his impressed looking fellow travellers. It was the best I could do not to burst out laughing at him.
Hi, brilliant to see Thorpe Marsh Powerstation, my dad worked there till 1993 after been finished at Doncaster B powerstation, there was also Doncaster A Powerstation many years ago that my Grandad worked at, i have a book on Thorpr Marsh and a photo of Doncaster B powerstation thst stood where Doncaster prison now stands if you are interested, dad was a LNER fireman before starting in the Powerstation, brilliant video, thank you.
What a fascinating find Ant. Its amazing whats still left. The picture showing the 4 tracks disused was spot on to where you were. Great investigating 👍🏻
I photographed the insides of the cooling towers in 2006. The cooling tower to the southwest of the site had 2 of the supporting legs removed during the removal of the cooling mechanism. Only one cooling tower had the cooling mechanism. Part of the cooling mechanism ( the concrete supports) were original but the cooling tower packing’s were modern and made out of black plastic. The remaining 5 towers that had been stripped had the plastic packing’s dumped outside. The cooling tower that was complete was very eerie inside especially towards the centre. It was also quite dark towards the centre as the packings above blocked any light. The original packings would have been made out of asbestos so we’re replaced. The ponds were deep ish and steel ladders at several points around the base of the cooling tower provided access to the pond. The base of the cooling tower was totally dry. The cooling tower packings, I believe we’re made by Munters who still exist as a company manufacturing media for cooling towers all around the world. I believe the south west cooling tower that had two supporting legs removed developed structural problems after 2006. There was a lot of trespassers visiting the site at the time and I am not sure why as the cooling towers didn’t interest them.
Wow, that was a spectacular explore. So many different features to discover. The footprints of the cooling towers were huge. Thanks for your hard work 😊
It's amazing to see how nature has reclaimed so much in such a short period of time. Another great tour of history. Thanks Ant, really enjoyed it. Sadly, Rugeley Power Station went the same way near me. A piece of history, gone forever.
Your music, playing as you film the first and second cooling towers, is so sad it almost brings tears to my eyes. The video of the demolition of the cooling towers against that red sky, even the bulldozer pushing over the lower walls is quite emotional, as is the destruction of any building. Would it be possible to list the music you choose please? Fascinating video.
A sad scene to see these types of power stations being demolished, Ant. Only having a 31 year working life is sacrilege! All that good reinforced concrete used for the building of the cooling towers just lying there is awful. Anyhow, it was great that you discovered some sidings and signals still in existence. Many thanks for discovering this site and showing us around.
This video is so nostalgic to me ive visited Thorpe Marsh lots of times back in the early 80's.. My brother was a lorry driver & in the holidays i use to go with him for the day, he delivered supplies to the canteen at Thorpe Marsh, as we got closer the cooling towers were so imposing, & i remember the run out there thruogh lovely countryside, happy days! Very sad to see it like it is now but an intersting video Ant thanks. ❤😊
Another lovely and emotive walk there with such evocative music, amazing what you’ve found and put it together for us all to enjoy. My uncle worked at Markham Main Colliery not far from Thorpe Marsh and said it was cheaper to import coal from South American countries than it was to mine coal at Markham Main and transport to Thorpe Marsh and Markham Main Colliery had a life expectancy to at least 2050. Understand that there are mixed feelings about burning coal but just makes you wonder what life and communities would have been like today had such industries survived. Keep up the fab work Ant and team.
I worked tearing this power station down ! Was like mad max or some crazy film with huge machines and strange animalistic people who dwelled in caravans tearing down the buildings all around me !
I worked there after it closed down.. know the site like the back of my hand (and its remains) to this day. Ken Silvester was the Demolition Man that masterminded the cheese wire technique of slicing those towers down (as opposed to using dynamite) for Able UK. i knew him.
Fascinating and how time flys! I took two Austerity WD locomotives in 1962 from Doncaster Carr Loo to pre-heat the boilers at Thorpe Marsh. I’m so surprised these lines still exists.
Another really interesting video, it's brilliant how nature reclaims redundant ground. With all of those silver birch trees it's like scenes from Life after people
I used to live near to here . Remember going past it on my way to Doncaster. Late 80s early 90s . There used to be meny power stations around that area nearly all gone now 😢.
Thank you for today’s video. Another walking trek into the past. Always enjoy watching. Enjoy the weekend, and see you on the next, Ant. Cheers mate., 🇬🇧🙂👍🇺🇸
Fascinating video Ant, great (altho also a bit sad) to see footage of the cooling towers being demolished. That picture with the 4 lines and the gantry captured exactly where you were really amazing to see to the contrast between the 80s and now.
Another one of your beautiful and emotional journeys back through time at what once was, and will never be again. Watching this makes me wonder what Cottam looks like now?
Ant, that was absolutely amazing 👏 i was going to suggest going there, lol. This place is 5 min drive from my house. It holds fond memories to myself and everyone in the area. It was a massive magnificent place back in its day. And was a heartbreaking time when it was all torn down. I went to watch the towers come down. Amazing to watch, but heartbreaking😢. You should have gone down that stairway. It's a massive room under there, but it has water in now. I have some great photos which I took a year ago exploring it like you have . I'll upload them if you want . I've copied the link to your video on the local community fb page so that people can see it. As a lot of people who worked there still live in the area. And I'm sure it will be appreciated 🙂 many thanks Ant.
Cracking little video again Ant and once again another Power station we will come to regret closing down one day no doubt. Plenty of imagination on this as how it used to be🤔Keep um coming please and don’t forget the water was about 2 foot deep 🙄🙄😂😂😂😂😍👍👍
Great stuff. I find these merry go round (mgr you referred to) coal.trains fascinating and the fact there still is one to Ratcliffe on Soar is a lingering glimpse of the past. (Ratcliffe even features in a train simulator game). Great seeing the old sidings photos and the relics still in place 😊
Fantastic thanks Ant. I find it really sad when buildings are bought down. That area is so awesome tho haha even got yourself scolded by the geese. Thanks for taking me along. Please take care
Incredibly how all that railway infrastructure has just been left there.. would love to find something like this in my area.. Great information as always, thanks 👍
It was the same when nearby Bentley Colliery closed, the railway infrastructure was all left in place right up until the site was eventually redeveloped.
Great video. Lots of memories for me - I live within walking distance from here, and I remember it in its prime, and the day the towers came down. The drive home from Leeds/Bradford could be measured by the power stations - Ferrybridge, Eggborough, Drax and Thorpe Marsh. Now all that is left is Drax, and for how long? The way home is now unsignposted, and it kind of makes me sad.
This is what you posted up on Facebook other day. Which means - we get gratuitous photos of old engines, huffin',puffin' and roaring their way along the old tracks (Hopefully!!) xx
Great vid Ant. 👍 My parents live in Barnby Dun, saw the towers come down. It's a shame you didn't walk a little further down the river to the Don Aqueduct. I'm positive it would be something of interested to you, as it's an amazing bit of engineering.
So sad that all these Yorkshire power stations have gone and we are just left with the mighty Drax. Would love to get a look around there but the place is tighter than Fort Knox! I can see Drax from my village and the former North Selby mine is just across the fields, maybe the the Selby coalfield could have supplied these but apparently it was cheaper to import the coal even though it was ten miles at most from the pit to the station.
Another brilliant compilation to aid my addiction to your site. What is it that makes birch trees thrive on dis-used railway sites? It seems that on any derelict railway location, birch trees are much in abundance.
Most enjoyable. Sad to see them come down but the chimneys being demolished was amazing to watch. Well done Ant on another fab video. Great filming and drone shots. Thank you.
when you climbed up the signal I thought you was going to put a 9 volt battery on the red light and a glove over the green light just like they did in the great train robbery lol. another great video Ant, keep them coming mate
Great video, you can see my house on one of the photos 😂 I’ve looking into another disused railway line close to Thorpe Marsh, you showed it on your map as a blue line in the video. Nobody believes me that the line existed because there’s no trace left
Great video and an interesting explore. It's kind of sad in a way to see the demise and waste of an industrial site where so much planning, construction and engineering expertise was involved. OTH, it was such a bloody eyesore, I bet it made the locals happy. I'm curious though. With so many coal fired power stations decommissioned and demolished in this particular area, have they been replaced with newer ones or alternative energy sources? Otherwise it must be a hell of a strain on the grid to make up the lost generating capacity.
Brilliant stuff again Ant. I did a delivery at this place back in the late '80's, probably '88 or '89, I can't remember for sure what I took there but I've got a feeling it was some kind of portable generators. Thanks for another great post, your stuff is excellent.
6:08 this was the water collection basin that had 4 pumps in 2 seperate pits & it did not get infilled like the opposite side sadly if you fell in here you aint getting out when the 6 towers stood all the ducts led from 3 bases & you were able to get a close up from the base of 2B via ladder which went when able uk continued on with demolition, if anyones wanting to visit this place you need to tread carefully as the contractor left it with more hidden dangers than it had when i visited it before its final demise
11:16the foundations to the coal drop & underground bunker there was 3 ways down to it one isnt there anymore & you will come across double tracked area in the concrete where where trains would roll into the coal drop detach then return & pick up to head back to bentley colliery to refill sadly everyone below ground is badly flooded & each time the eabeck floods it floods the site so ther is no chance of seeing below ground without getting wet feet
You don't appreciate the size of those towers till you showed the curve, I know we've seen the "sisters" but these look bigger. This must be the most "finds" you've come across, fantastic👍👍👍 That looks like a track gauging tool at 20.09??? Hope you had a brew with Mr. Gingerbread?!!!!😂😂😂
Lots of interesting railway relics. Apart from the cooling towers, were there any remains of the buildings housing the generating plant? It looks like Nature is gradually returning, and with a bit of help, a mixture of woodland, grassland and water might be a great improvement on its present state.
Great video Ant, and you might be the last person to get this, as it is now, on video. The railway sidings you explored are due to be made into new sidings for a proposed battery storage site. The plan is to clear the site, landscape it and install a lot of containers with batteries in to help support the grid. The sidings will help bring in the equipment. Great video as usual!
its all going to be landscaped and the headgear as a visitor centre. £25 million project, with some of it going on refurbishment of the shop fronts in that part of stainforth
Great video as ever, but quite saddening to see what used to be there, those fantastic structures gone for ever! I don't really understand why they couldn't just leave them standing as a piece of history, it's not as if the location has been redeveloped? At least the railway has been left almost intact!
Wow, they really need to demolish these old power stations a bit more thoroughly. Break up all the concrete bases/roads and get rid of all the old scrap. Lift the tracks and remove the ballast. It would make a much nicer haven for wild life in its natural state. It looks like they just removed the structures and couldn't be bothered to finish the work.
Oh, we're doing so well with our cheap green energy. Mind I could be biased due to starting a career in coal mining after leaving school in 1976.and starting on the pit top . Going underground on the haulage at 17 before going g on the face a week after Mt 18 birthday. I was so proud of myself. Even better hen the machine driver of the trapanner had me along side of him above the chocks , timbring up to some 12' yo approx 18 + foot trying to catch the top from running away. Still think of you Tiger / ginger ! Warsop Main . 22/ s Clown seam. 🤔👍
why was the site not completely cleared we had a paoer station where I live in New Zealand apart from the chimney and generating part of the station the boiler houses were demolished and the site cleared
Strange that the majority of the railway infrastructure was still there, I wonder if a bit of politics came into play there - the power station owned the land, but the railway was the responsibility of BR or Network rail, whoever it was at that period. Thus whoever ran the power station cleared all the gear relating to the power station itself, but, not being responsible for the railway, had no choice but to leave it. And the railway company obviously felt it was not a high priority once they had disconnected it from the main active lines. Different times back then, I would have thought that these days both parties would be forced to do a much better job of clearing the site, leaving it in a decontaminated state. All very interesting though, I bet hundreds of millions of tons of coal must have past along there in the past.
@@TrekkingExploration I see your point (although the construction is totally wrong for a shelter) and at first glance, yes, it's an easy assumption to make.... ......Great little explore to find so much in a site so long abandoned..... Incidentally, the overly long shades of the two aspect signals are quite rare these days, being largely a BR Eastern Region only thing......here they serve two purposes, both the better shade the lights for viewing at a distance and also to reduce "read through" for drivers on the adjacent main line...
@Just a bloke. I live just outside of Vancouver Canada where we have a giant coal port. 20-30 years ago we had a great issue with coal dust coming from the rail cars transporting the coal to the port. That is why I asked. 🇨🇦
All intentional to destroy a former superpower and move global power to the far east as they are now trying to do ... This power station is a good allegory for what's happening to the entire UK right now!!
@@TrekkingExploration lol at least your honest , cant wait for you to return . it probably has a jail door at the bottom of the steeps . i enjoy your content , great work
I'ts certainly beginning to look like a hasty/poor decision to wind down coal so fast, especially as were finding out that we have to rely on foreign energy!. Surely it would have been wise to keep some coal production in reserve. The political panic from environmental protest caused a major knee jerk reaction to coal.
I live in Askern and when I was about 12 years old I had a friend who lived next door to one of the workers at Thorp marsh. M y friend asked if there was a chance to look round the power station and told him to write to the manager. he did and we were invited to go round all the power station. One of the workers took us round and even on top of the turbine hall roof what a great day that was that I will never forget. At that time I lived along the A19 On Doncster road and I could see at least the cooling towers being built one by one.
Awesome memories mate.
i live in moorends and worked at thorpe marsh when it closed, stripping out the cooling towers. glad to see the site is to be used as a national grid battery storage facility (utilising the old railway to bring in all the new equipment)
I grew up within sight of Thorpe Marsh. Once it had closed it took forever for demolition to be completed, but during this time between closure and demolition on the train between Doncaster and York as we passed within view of the power station a guy on the next table was talking confidently about the 'nuclear power station' we were passing and giving non existent facts about it to his impressed looking fellow travellers. It was the best I could do not to burst out laughing at him.
The overgrown tracks, signals, points, buffer stops, cooling ponds love it! Excellent video Ant 👍
Thanks very much. A good mix on this one
Great job on uncovering more buried history. It's amazing how much is still left to explore.
Thanks Ant.👍
Thanks very much for watching 😊
Lovely old iron, Ant! 😀👍🏻👍🏻
Hi, brilliant to see Thorpe Marsh Powerstation, my dad worked there till 1993 after been finished at Doncaster B powerstation, there was also Doncaster A Powerstation many years ago that my Grandad worked at, i have a book on Thorpr Marsh and a photo of Doncaster B powerstation thst stood where Doncaster prison now stands if you are interested, dad was a LNER fireman before starting in the Powerstation, brilliant video, thank you.
What a fascinating find Ant. Its amazing whats still left. The picture showing the 4 tracks disused was spot on to where you were. Great investigating 👍🏻
I photographed the insides of the cooling towers in 2006. The cooling tower to the southwest of the site had 2 of the supporting legs removed during the removal of the cooling mechanism. Only one cooling tower had the cooling mechanism. Part of the cooling mechanism ( the concrete supports) were original but the cooling tower packing’s were modern and made out of black plastic. The remaining 5 towers that had been stripped had the plastic packing’s dumped outside. The cooling tower that was complete was very eerie inside especially towards the centre. It was also quite dark towards the centre as the packings above blocked any light. The original packings would have been made out of asbestos so we’re replaced. The ponds were deep ish and steel ladders at several points around the base of the cooling tower provided access to the pond. The base of the cooling tower was totally dry. The cooling tower packings, I believe we’re made by Munters who still exist as a company manufacturing media for cooling towers all around the world.
I believe the south west cooling tower that had two supporting legs removed developed structural problems after 2006.
There was a lot of trespassers visiting the site at the time and I am not sure why as the cooling towers didn’t interest them.
Wow, that was a spectacular explore. So many different features to discover. The footprints of the cooling towers were huge. Thanks for your hard work 😊
Glad you enjoyed it. Theres a Part 2 available now :)
It's amazing to see how nature has reclaimed so much in such a short period of time. Another great tour of history. Thanks Ant, really enjoyed it. Sadly, Rugeley Power Station went the same way near me. A piece of history, gone forever.
I never got to see rugeley except from a distance on the Trent and Mersey Canal. Maybe the opportunity will arise to walk around this site someday
Your music, playing as you film the first and second cooling towers, is so sad it almost brings tears to my eyes. The video of the demolition of the cooling towers against that red sky, even the bulldozer pushing over the lower walls is quite emotional, as is the destruction of any building. Would it be possible to list the music you choose please? Fascinating video.
A sad scene to see these types of power stations being demolished, Ant. Only having a 31 year working life is sacrilege! All that good reinforced concrete used for the building of the cooling towers just lying there is awful. Anyhow, it was great that you discovered some sidings and signals still in existence. Many thanks for discovering this site and showing us around.
Signals,sidings and silver birch, super Saturday stay safe. See yah my main man.
Glad you enjoyed it Rodger ☺️
That was a fascinating one, Ant, especially that extensive abandoned railway system and the signals
Love your work Ant.
Thanks very much Mark 🙂
It's amazing to see the towers falling - what a great fine with the old Railway line, buffers & signals - Thanks for sharing Ant 🙂🚂🚂🚂
Amazing find
Thanks for watching 😊
Great job again ant
Thanks very much David ☺️
This video is so nostalgic to me ive visited Thorpe Marsh lots of times back in the early 80's.. My brother was a lorry driver & in the holidays i use to go with him for the day, he delivered supplies to the canteen at Thorpe Marsh, as we got closer the cooling towers were so imposing, & i remember the run out there thruogh lovely countryside, happy days! Very sad to see it like it is now but an intersting video Ant thanks. ❤😊
Another lovely and emotive walk there with such evocative music, amazing what you’ve found and put it together for us all to enjoy. My uncle worked at Markham Main Colliery not far from Thorpe Marsh and said it was cheaper to import coal from South American countries than it was to mine coal at Markham Main and transport to Thorpe Marsh and Markham Main Colliery had a life expectancy to at least 2050. Understand that there are mixed feelings about burning coal but just makes you wonder what life and communities would have been like today had such industries survived. Keep up the fab work Ant and team.
Amazing! So very interesting looking back at this site, your photography is incredible Thankyou
So pleased you enjoyed it and thank you 🙂
I worked tearing this power station down !
Was like mad max or some crazy film with huge machines and strange animalistic people who dwelled in caravans tearing down the buildings all around me !
Another good one Ant. And great photography from Steve Partridge too. Excellent work, thanks.
I’ve got loads of photos and vids of explores I did here when it was still standing, including footage inside the towers.
Was a really good UE site
Really enjoyed this video
Thanks very much Geoff
Brilliant again
Thanks Stuart 😊
Thanks for another cracking vlog very interesting your enthusiasm shines through 😊
I worked there after it closed down.. know the site like the back of my hand (and its remains) to this day. Ken Silvester was the Demolition Man that masterminded the cheese wire technique of slicing those towers down (as opposed to using dynamite) for Able UK. i knew him.
Fascinating and how time flys!
I took two Austerity WD locomotives in 1962 from Doncaster Carr Loo to pre-heat the boilers at Thorpe Marsh. I’m so surprised these lines still exists.
Another really interesting video, it's brilliant how nature reclaims redundant ground. With all of those silver birch trees it's like scenes from Life after people
Good one Ant, I just knew as soon as I saw the ladder to the signal you were going to climb it😅.x
Great to see you’re back to doing what you do best…
Glad you enjoyed it John 🙂
I used to live near to here . Remember going past it on my way to Doncaster. Late 80s early 90s . There used to be meny power stations around that area nearly all gone now 😢.
Thank you for today’s video. Another walking trek into the past. Always enjoy watching. Enjoy the weekend, and see you on the next, Ant. Cheers mate., 🇬🇧🙂👍🇺🇸
Thanks very much Martin. It was a tough one to be honest
@@TrekkingExploration All then the more thank you for the trek!
A big thumbs up fella,thanks
Cheers Simon thanks for watching 😊
You are on track to becoming my favorite UA-cam channel.
That's very kind Joseph thank you. I've been back here today to do a little more 🙂
Fascinating video Ant, great (altho also a bit sad) to see footage of the cooling towers being demolished. That picture with the 4 lines and the gantry captured exactly where you were really amazing to see to the contrast between the 80s and now.
Another one of your beautiful and emotional journeys back through time at what once was, and will never be again. Watching this makes me wonder what Cottam looks like now?
I last visited cottam in June 2020. I don't think much has changed externally yet
Another interesting video, a great find ..
Ant, that was absolutely amazing 👏 i was going to suggest going there, lol. This place is 5 min drive from my house. It holds fond memories to myself and everyone in the area. It was a massive magnificent place back in its day. And was a heartbreaking time when it was all torn down. I went to watch the towers come down. Amazing to watch, but heartbreaking😢. You should have gone down that stairway. It's a massive room under there, but it has water in now. I have some great photos which I took a year ago exploring it like you have . I'll upload them if you want . I've copied the link to your video on the local community fb page so that people can see it. As a lot of people who worked there still live in the area. And I'm sure it will be appreciated 🙂 many thanks Ant.
Fascinating video
These old sites really intrigue me for some reason
Thanks for the video top work
Glad you enjoyed it Jon thank you
Nice video Ant, you put some work in making these thanks, very interesting.
Cheers Chris Thanks very much
Fantastic footage 👍👍👍keep it up mate 👍👍
great work very interesting
Cracking little video again Ant and once again another Power station we will come to regret closing down one day no doubt.
Plenty of imagination on this as how it used to be🤔Keep um coming please and don’t forget the water was about 2 foot deep 🙄🙄😂😂😂😂😍👍👍
Great stuff. I find these merry go round (mgr you referred to) coal.trains fascinating and the fact there still is one to Ratcliffe on Soar is a lingering glimpse of the past. (Ratcliffe even features in a train simulator game). Great seeing the old sidings photos and the relics still in place 😊
Loved that where you found the four lines of track and an actual photo of them. Great stuff...all the best.
I was really pleased with that photograph it captured a lot of what I had been looking at 😊
cripple sidings & reception sidings the tracks use to go all the way along the side of the active line
Fantastic thanks Ant. I find it really sad when buildings are bought down. That area is so awesome tho haha even got yourself scolded by the geese. Thanks for taking me along. Please take care
The geese soon settled again. I popped back here to do a little more yesterday 🙂
Fantastic
Incredibly how all that railway infrastructure has just been left there.. would love to find something like this in my area.. Great information as always, thanks 👍
Where is your area? There must be something. I might find something 😂
It was the same when nearby Bentley Colliery closed, the railway infrastructure was all left in place right up until the site was eventually redeveloped.
Wow nice video xx
Great video. Lots of memories for me - I live within walking distance from here, and I remember it in its prime, and the day the towers came down. The drive home from Leeds/Bradford could be measured by the power stations - Ferrybridge, Eggborough, Drax and Thorpe Marsh. Now all that is left is Drax, and for how long? The way home is now unsignposted, and it kind of makes me sad.
Great video and great finds along the way, shame the rest was gated off. Amazing how the buffer stops are still there.
The buffers were a real surprise and to be 4 tracks wide too
This is what you posted up on Facebook other day. Which means - we get gratuitous photos of old engines, huffin',puffin' and roaring their way along the old tracks (Hopefully!!) xx
I found a few old photos but it was a difficult one to find many
@@TrekkingExploration & 3:50 Why the spiral effect on what you are calling cooling tower foundations?
@@backupintheday9710 oh was it not actually a cooling tower?
@@TrekkingExploration Thanks anyhow Ant. Yet another lovely, informative video. x
@@Glamrockqueen Glad you enjoyed it and thank you 🙂
Ruddy fantastic video! Also I love the tunes. Subscribed
Very kind thanks very much ☺️
Great vid Ant. 👍 My parents live in Barnby Dun, saw the towers come down. It's a shame you didn't walk a little further down the river to the Don Aqueduct. I'm positive it would be something of interested to you, as it's an amazing bit of engineering.
Very interesting
Thanks for watching
The dip below the tracks where water may have flowed is the rail Weighbridge...
So sad that all these Yorkshire power stations have gone and we are just left with the mighty Drax. Would love to get a look around there but the place is tighter than Fort Knox! I can see Drax from my village and the former North Selby mine is just across the fields, maybe the the Selby coalfield could have supplied these but apparently it was cheaper to import the coal even though it was ten miles at most from the pit to the station.
Another brilliant compilation to aid my addiction to your site. What is it that makes birch trees thrive on dis-used railway sites? It seems that on any derelict railway location, birch trees are much in abundance.
Most enjoyable. Sad to see them come down but the chimneys being demolished was amazing to watch. Well done Ant on another fab video. Great filming and drone shots. Thank you.
Thanks Shirley very kind 😊
Great video
Thanks Chris ☺️
Amazing amount of railway still extant, was a huge site at one time. Your knowledge is quite remarkable. Thanks very much 😀
Glad you enjoyed it Mark thanks very much 🙂
when you climbed up the signal I thought you was going to put a 9 volt battery on the red light and a glove over the green light just like they did in the great train robbery lol. another great video Ant, keep them coming mate
I did that once somewhere.... Not the robbery though 😂
Nice explore Ant, what a tragic waste of what we once had and now so badly need again. Take care mate.
Cheers thanks very much for watching
Great video, you can see my house on one of the photos 😂 I’ve looking into another disused railway line close to Thorpe Marsh, you showed it on your map as a blue line in the video. Nobody believes me that the line existed because there’s no trace left
Great video and an interesting explore. It's kind of sad in a way to see the demise and waste of an industrial site where so much planning, construction and engineering expertise was involved. OTH, it was such a bloody eyesore, I bet it made the locals happy.
I'm curious though. With so many coal fired power stations decommissioned and demolished in this particular area, have they been replaced with newer ones or alternative energy sources? Otherwise it must be a hell of a strain on the grid to make up the lost generating capacity.
Brilliant stuff again Ant. I did a delivery at this place back in the late '80's, probably '88 or '89, I can't remember for sure what I took there but I've got a feeling it was some kind of portable generators. Thanks for another great post, your stuff is excellent.
6:08 this was the water collection basin that had 4 pumps in 2 seperate pits & it did not get infilled like the opposite side sadly if you fell in here you aint getting out when the 6 towers stood all the ducts led from 3 bases & you were able to get a close up from the base of 2B via ladder which went when able uk continued on with demolition, if anyones wanting to visit this place you need to tread carefully as the contractor left it with more hidden dangers than it had when i visited it before its final demise
11:16the foundations to the coal drop & underground bunker there was 3 ways down to it one isnt there anymore & you will come across double tracked area in the concrete where where trains would roll into the coal drop detach then return & pick up to head back to bentley colliery to refill sadly everyone below ground is badly flooded & each time the eabeck floods it floods the site so ther is no chance of seeing below ground without getting wet feet
You don't appreciate the size of those towers till you showed the curve, I know we've seen the "sisters" but these look bigger. This must be the most "finds" you've come across, fantastic👍👍👍 That looks like a track gauging tool at 20.09??? Hope you had a brew with Mr. Gingerbread?!!!!😂😂😂
Gingerbread Man didn't last long after that 😆😆😆 It was a good explore very hard work though
I worked on the demolition of this site !
Used to hide in those cooling tower bases and slack off from work and look for scrap to nick
:)
Lots of interesting railway relics. Apart from the cooling towers, were there any remains of the buildings housing the generating plant? It looks like Nature is gradually returning, and with a bit of help, a mixture of woodland, grassland and water might be a great improvement on its present state.
Great video Ant, and you might be the last person to get this, as it is now, on video. The railway sidings you explored are due to be made into new sidings for a proposed battery storage site. The plan is to clear the site, landscape it and install a lot of containers with batteries in to help support the grid. The sidings will help bring in the equipment. Great video as usual!
Ohhhh that's quite remarkable to know. I'll have to keep an eye out for any work
@@TrekkingExploration Google Thorpe Marsh battery storage and you'll see the plans 👍
Went past the old Hatfield Colliery yesterday on the train,quite suprised to see the two headstocks still standing.
I need to fly the drone around there ☺️
its all going to be landscaped and the headgear as a visitor centre. £25 million project, with some of it going on refurbishment of the shop fronts in that part of stainforth
Featured on a film about the 1970s miners strike. Might have been ‘Strike village’ which featured Clipstone village.
I'll have a look out for this 👍
@@TrekkingExploration the film is called faith. can be viewed on yt
Great video as ever, but quite saddening to see what used to be there, those fantastic structures gone for ever! I don't really understand why they couldn't just leave them standing as a piece of history, it's not as if the location has been redeveloped? At least the railway has been left almost intact!
What no buddleia growing onthe tracks that's amazing
When I was kid you just presumed these places would be there forever
It's very true. I thought that growing up near Stanton Ironworks
Wow, they really need to demolish these old power stations a bit more thoroughly. Break up all the concrete bases/roads and get rid of all the old scrap. Lift the tracks and remove the ballast. It would make a much nicer haven for wild life in its natural state. It looks like they just removed the structures and couldn't be bothered to finish the work.
Oh, we're doing so well with our cheap green energy. Mind I could be biased due to starting a career in coal mining after leaving school in 1976.and starting on the pit top . Going underground on the haulage at 17 before going g on the face a week after Mt 18 birthday. I was so proud of myself. Even better hen the machine driver of the trapanner had me along side of him above the chocks , timbring up to some 12' yo approx 18 + foot trying to catch the top from running away. Still think of you Tiger / ginger ! Warsop Main . 22/ s Clown seam. 🤔👍
Hi can you tell me what that tune at the beginning is please? It's amazing
I worked there. Sad times. Still in the industry.
Not long for Ratcliffe now its ashame i never got tp visit
why was the site not completely cleared we had a paoer station where I live in New Zealand apart from the chimney and generating part of the station the boiler houses were demolished and the site cleared
Strange that the majority of the railway infrastructure was still there, I wonder if a bit of politics came into play there - the power station owned the land, but the railway was the responsibility of BR or Network rail, whoever it was at that period. Thus whoever ran the power station cleared all the gear relating to the power station itself, but, not being responsible for the railway, had no choice but to leave it. And the railway company obviously felt it was not a high priority once they had disconnected it from the main active lines. Different times back then, I would have thought that these days both parties would be forced to do a much better job of clearing the site, leaving it in a decontaminated state. All very interesting though, I bet hundreds of millions of tons of coal must have past along there in the past.
that railway track could be usefull probably to a preserved railway
Google Earth still shows the cooling towers in place!
It's not a fallout shelter.....
.......its the stairway to the conveyor room below the MGR Darlek House and hopper.....
I know that now I've since done a follow up video.
@@TrekkingExploration Ah! Sorry....UA-cam just directed me to this one......
@@ianhudson2193 at first glance they do look like air raid shelters though
@@TrekkingExploration I see your point (although the construction is totally wrong for a shelter) and at first glance, yes, it's an easy assumption to make....
......Great little explore to find so much in a site so long abandoned.....
Incidentally, the overly long shades of the two aspect signals are quite rare these days, being largely a BR Eastern Region only thing......here they serve two purposes, both the better shade the lights for viewing at a distance and also to reduce "read through" for drivers on the adjacent main line...
How contaminated is the soil? 🇨🇦
@Just a bloke. I live just outside of Vancouver Canada where we have a giant coal port. 20-30 years ago we had a great issue with coal dust coming from the rail cars transporting the coal to the port. That is why I asked. 🇨🇦
Ant, your narrative is so descriptive I could close my eyes and almost see everything you're talking about...........
Very kind. Thanks very much
@@TrekkingExploration Just telling like it is..........
The brambles protect this location. I can see them emerging. In a few weeks this location will be more impenetrable.
I agree. It was difficult enough last week so just imagine when we are into the springtime
looks like another beeching type decision with these coal fired stations,will jump up to bite em very soon
All intentional to destroy a former superpower and move global power to the far east as they are now trying to do ...
This power station is a good allegory for what's happening to the entire UK right now!!
why didn't you go in the BUNKER ??
You know? I simply forgot and I could have kicked myself. Good excuse to go back 😉
@@TrekkingExploration lol at least your honest , cant wait for you to return . it probably has a jail door at the bottom of the steeps . i enjoy your content , great work
@@japdog9 thank you
First😂
Cheers
King coal will always rule not this woke green energy bollocks
I believe so. Thanks for watching 😊
I'ts certainly beginning to look like a hasty/poor decision to wind down coal so fast, especially as were finding out that we have to rely on foreign energy!. Surely it would have been wise to keep some coal production in reserve. The political panic from environmental protest caused a major knee jerk reaction to coal.
They've got rid of the coal fired power stations and now Drax is in their sights, guess we'll just have to bang the rocks together!
Please change the music
Can't. It's done. Online. Finished.
What a waste of our energy independence and industry.
Very true. Only 31 years of use