tarboat's photos

Drax power station seen across the Humber estuary from Kilnsea. In the very far distance to the left of Drax the power station at Eggborough is just visible too.

The Ineos operated Grangemouth refinery is the largest industrial plant by volume in Scotland and supplies much of the oil based fuels used in Scotland and the North of England.

Lockwoods are known for their mushy peas but with the business being somewhat seasonal they diversified into delivering for other people. The haulage business now seems to have become a supply chain partner. I think it means that they deliver things

Longannet power station seen over the oil refinery at Grangemouth. It had a generating capacity of 2,400 MW and is operated by Scottish Power. It was completed in 1973 and at that time it was the largest in Europe. In addition to coal it was capable of burning biomass, natural gas and sludge. It closed in March 2016 after missing out on a contract with National Grid.

Buckets pass with minimum fuss whilst sheep graze below on the Claughton aerial ropeway.

The Park Lane cotton spinning mills of Leigh Spinners date from 1913 and 1923. In latter years they were used for making carpets but are now subject to restoration for business and community use. This includes restoration of the steam engines that remain in situ. The buildings are listed Grade II*.

B1 61264 takes its train across Mytholmes Viaduct during a 30724 Charters event.

The hills of East Cheshire have seen extensive coal mining in some fairly remote locations. This is the site of the Dane Thorn Colliery looking towards the line of the tubroad leadng from the adit, and the waste tip which has the greener vegetation. In front of the tip are the remains of a small stone building. This must have been a hard place to work in winter when a walk of several mile would have been necessary to reach the mine each day. Farey lists this mine as working in 1811. In 1853 it was disused but by 1879 it had reopened and was being worked by worked by William and Harold Hand who also operated the nearby Robinsclough Mine. The later operations may well have used a different entrance and the colliery appears to have closed again by 1897.

There are several areas of mining for ironstone still visible in the Emley area of West Yorkshire. Those featured in this panorama lie to the south of Woodhouse Lane and Bentley Grange Farm. The earliest workings are thought to be the monks from the Abbey of Byland in North Yorkshire who established a furnace adjacent to Bank Wood. By the mid 15th century this appears to have ceased and it was not until the late 16th century that the Wentworth family exploited the Tankersley ironstone bed in this area. These remains are most likely from this latter period. In the 1950s much of the surrounding area was opencast mined for coal and the ironstone remains lost. This surviving area is now a scheduled ancient monument. Other pits can be found in Bank Wood and in fields to the west of the wood.

What goes around comes around. Electric service from Crewe sporting the name of a train company remarkably close to that of a the incumbent at this location one hundred years ago.

The Hollin Busk Colliery, Stocksbridge, South Yorkshire, appears to have worked coal and fireclay (or possibly ganister). It is supposed to have reached Coal at 108ft and Pot Clay at 261ft. Until recently there were remains of a hand winch adjacent to the headgear. The winding shaft for the colliery was a short distance to the north west of this one which appears to have been sunk c1900 for ventilation. The whole mine had closed before 1930. This headgear has since been demolished.

Industrial archaeological features are so easily lost. Development of industrial units at the site of the former Thorncliffe Colliery in South Yorkshire has seen this concrete base cast aside. This once held a tower for the aerial ropeway carrying coal to the Smithywood coking plant. A small thing but worth recording before it is gone for ever.

The former Crosfield's site at at Warrington is now operated by PQ Corporation after the Ineos Silicas business was merged with it. The site produces a range of inorganic chemicals.

My good friend Bryan busy photographing the original entrance to West Bank Dock at Widnes. In the background can be seen the Saria rendering plant and associated power station.

McKechnie Brothers Limited, metal merchants and producers of copper sulphate, titanium sponge and other materials, established their Widnes smelting works works in 1891. This lettering is over the door of the administrative block on Ditton Road in Widnes which now stands partly empty.

A freight headed by B1 61264 bursts out from under the accommodation bridge south of Haworth Station on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway.

Mine No.3 at Yaojie was one of the dustiest and smoggiest places I have been to. On my visit the loading point was being shunted by SY 0527.

Pacific National DL47 leading with DL40 at the rear on Sabadin petroleum tanks after crossing Eastern Parade, Port Adelaide. I understand that both these locomotives are now in storage.