Report - Sharpness Grain Silo, Berkeley - Aug 2015

WhoDerpsWins · Aug 23, 2015

Visited with Clebby & Huey.

Much thanks to Clebby for hinting at checking this out after a successful explore previously that day. We didn't really have a plan but walked up to it like we owned it. Despite walking past two guys in a cherry picker dismantling a metal overhang attached to the building we were soon in thanks to Huey.

History:

While the construction of the New Dock was nearing completion in the mid 1870s, a start was made on building warehouses to store imports, and more were added in later years as the throughput of the port increased. As the dock was in an area with little existing population, houses, shops and other facilities were also provided for the community of key workers connected with the dock.

As well as timber, Sharpness handled all manner of grains, linseed, palm kernels, cotton seed, offal grains and ground nuts. From here anything up to 1,000 tonnes a day was taken by barge to mills along the reaches of the Severn. This grain silo was built in the 1930's, built to replace a warehouse and adjoining store destroyed in a fire in 1934, and has a capacity of 10,000 tonnes.

The grain silo appears to of been used by Sharpness Silos Ltd which closed down in 2000.

The place is unlike the mills in Bristol docks for more reasons than one, but mostly that it's completely absent of pigeons and pigeon shit. This made it rather nice as whilst dusty and full of cobwebs it was a pleasant explore.

Here's a few photos I took.