Report (Permission Visit) Express Lift Tower (Permission Visit) AKA Northampton Lighthouse - 2017

[Bikin Glynn]

Northampton Lighthouse

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The National Lift Tower (previously called the Express Lift Tower) is a lift-testing tower built by the Express Lift Company (a lifts division of the General Electric Company (GEC) off the Weedon Road in Northampton, England.
The structure was commissioned in 1978 with construction commencing in 1980, and was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 12 November 1982. It has been a Grade II Listed Building since 1997.

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Designed by architect Maurice Walton of Stimpson Walton Bond, the tower is 127.5 metres (418 ft) tall, 14.6 m (48 ft) in diameter at the base and tapers to 8.5 m (28 ft) at the top. The only lift-testing tower in Britain, and one of only two in Europe, it was granted Grade II listed building status on 30 October 1997, making it the youngest listed building in the UK at the time. The building's small, obround shaped windows were a design motif of the Express Lift Company, whose lift control panels featured control buttons and floor indicators of the same shape.

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In January 1997, the tower fell out of use after Express was taken over by Otis (who typically used its test facilities in the United States). In 1999, the tower and surrounding land was sold to Wilcon Homes for development.

From the time it was built, one shaft was specifically used by the British Standards Institution (BSI) for type testing of lift safety components at the time under the BS 5655 and BS EN81 standards. Safety Gear testing involved putting the lift cars (frame) into free fall conditions with rated mass at tripping speeds as required by the designers of the safety gear to ensure the lift cars decelerated and stopped within the requirements of the standard. Buffer testing involved impacting them with the maximum and minimum mass at tripping speeds to ensure decelerations were within that requirement by the standard in both cases the aim was to ensure if the lift ever went into free fall or uncontrolled downward movement the safety components stopped the lift without causing any serious injury to the occupant. BSI ceased using the test tower soon after the site was acquired for housing in 1997–98.

The building is now privately owned and has been renamed the National Lift Tower. Following extensive renovation and repairs, the tower was re-opened for business in October 2009. The tower is used by lift companies for research, development, testing and marketing. As well as being a resource for the lift industry, the building is also available to companies requiring tall vertical spaces, for example companies wishing to test working-at-height safety devices.

There are six lift shafts of varying heights and speeds, including a high speed shaft with a travel of 100 metres and a theoretical maximum speed of 10 m/s.

The tower's renovation was officially completed in July 2010. Further building work was planned with planning permission being sought to build a visitor's centre incorporating a 100-seater auditorium and cafe. However, permission for this structure was denied by Northampton Borough Council in March 2012.

Considering the height being in here felt strangely like being in a submarine

Halfway Up

Up at the business end

This floor really does feel like a lighthouse

Good view of The saints from here

To go any higher its only stairs

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So I havent mentioned how I got permission for this one? its easy enough if anyone wants to visit, u just have to raise over £150 for charity & agree to throw yourself off the bloody thing!!
Im not awfully keen on heights so this was quite a challenge but glad I did it, it was physically harder than I imagined, with over 400ft of rope hanging below you, you had to lift the full weight of the rope to let the figure of 8 move which is something Id not expected or experienced before. At about halfway your body weight takes over the rope weight & you have to lock the rope as in a traditional abseil, very strange.
I also hadnt anticipated the contour of the building, meaning for a period about a third down you are off the side of the building in a free air abseil.
It was a great buzz but I wont be rushing back.

Thanks For Looking
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[Down and beyond]

Cracking stuff mate !!

 

[Bikin Glynn]

Cracking stuff mate !!

Thanks it's a bit er opposite from your preferred explore lol

 

[Exploring with Andy]

Fantastic! Nice job doubling up your abseil with an explore.

 

[KPUrban_]

Seen this a few times, it's an interesting structure.
I believe there is a similar structure in Germany which can be used (I think) as a vacuum chamber for dropping stuff with zero air resistance.

 

[Bikin Glynn]

Fantastic! Nice job doubling up your abseil with an explore.

Yeah I always fancied a look in there so was an ideal oportunity

 

[Wally_urbex]

Nicely done mate

 

[Bikin Glynn]

Seen this a few times, it's an interesting structure.
I believe there is a similar structure in Germany which can be used (I think) as a vacuum chamber for dropping stuff with zero air resistance.

Quite possible. I believe this one was also used for testing water pumps etc.

 

[Down and beyond]

Thanks it's a bit er opposite from your preferred explore lol

But it has ropes !

 

[Down and beyond]

Seen this a few times, it's an interesting structure.
I believe there is a similar structure in Germany which can be used (I think) as a vacuum chamber for dropping stuff with zero air resistance.

I have seen the 1 for making musket balls is this what your thinking of mate?

 

[betamax toploader]

I recall a few years back, when Saints played their bogey team Saracens. A very large Saracens banner was suspended from the tower, visible from the rugby ground, and half of town as well. Thats my sort of humour.

 

[Bikin Glynn]

I recall a few years back, when Saints played their bogey team Saracens. A very large Saracens banner was suspended from the tower, visible from the rugby ground, and half of town as well. Thats my sort of humour.

It could be most useful for advertising, they need some of them massive led boards on it

 

[KPUrban_]

Quite possible. I believe this one was also used for testing water pumps etc.

I have seen the 1 for making musket balls is this what your thinking of mate?

I think it was this I was referring to.

 

[Mikeymutt]

That looks nice up there. It's a funny thing abseiling. I was with a girl and she decided she was going to do a charity abseil of the old norwich maternity block. I went up to give her moral support and ended up signing up to go over myself ha ha. Going over the edge was the worse bit. It was fun but like you not something I am in a rush to repeat ha ha.

 

[Ferox]

Nice one mate. Rather you than me on the abseiling bud. Sounds hard work