Visited with Chloe and Ella.
After a very long drive and a couple of fails at some locations on the way we arrived here eager to get close after first spotting them in the skyline.
Amazing structures, played with the echo, took loads of pics and then left. Not really much to report on explore-wise. It’s a pretty popular spot, there were people there with drones (I’d love to see drone footage from there) and a bunch of people leaving who appeared to have stayed overnight.
thoroughly enjoyed these, nice to see.
History -
Willington Power Station was comprised of two almost entirely independent generating stations situated on the same site. With separate management and staff, the few facilities they shared amounted to the coal and water supply. The two stations were formally known as Willington ‘A’ and Willington ‘B’, with the ‘A’ Station closest to the main road. (The A5132 was then known as the B5009). The ‘A’ Station, built in 1957, comprised four generating Units, each of 100 megawatt capacity. To service these, a pair of 425 foot chimneys (each reportedly amounting to 5,000 tons!) were provided, along with just two cooling towers. Hailed as a revolution of the time, the design of the ‘A’ Station was of four “semi-outdoor” boiler units, only the burners and steam drum of which were enclosed, arranged in a square formation.
The ‘B’ station, commissioned in 1962, was to be only two Units, albeit each of 200MW capacity – equalling the output of the ‘A’ Station with half the hardware. Only one 425 foot chimney was required for the ‘B’ Station, but three cooling towers were provided.
On 16th August 1989 Privatisation saw the power station become part of National Power PLC. 27th January 1993 saw Unit 3 of Station ‘A’, having the highest hours at 179,579, shut down, followed a few months later by Unit 4 with 174,343 hours. Willington Station ‘A’ was finally “de-synchronised” from the National Grid with due ceremony at 1830hrs on 30th September 1994, the Unit concerned being the oldest – No.1 – having operated for 173,464 hours. Closure was a formality and took place on 31st May 1995. Unit 5 was closed 31st March 1998, leaving just the sixth and last unit to struggle on. By now down-rated to 188Mw, Unit 6 took its turn to be de-synchronised a year later on 31st March 1999 — thus ending the 41 year, 3 month & 14 day history of electricity generation at Willington.
After a very long drive and a couple of fails at some locations on the way we arrived here eager to get close after first spotting them in the skyline.
Amazing structures, played with the echo, took loads of pics and then left. Not really much to report on explore-wise. It’s a pretty popular spot, there were people there with drones (I’d love to see drone footage from there) and a bunch of people leaving who appeared to have stayed overnight.
thoroughly enjoyed these, nice to see.
History -
Willington Power Station was comprised of two almost entirely independent generating stations situated on the same site. With separate management and staff, the few facilities they shared amounted to the coal and water supply. The two stations were formally known as Willington ‘A’ and Willington ‘B’, with the ‘A’ Station closest to the main road. (The A5132 was then known as the B5009). The ‘A’ Station, built in 1957, comprised four generating Units, each of 100 megawatt capacity. To service these, a pair of 425 foot chimneys (each reportedly amounting to 5,000 tons!) were provided, along with just two cooling towers. Hailed as a revolution of the time, the design of the ‘A’ Station was of four “semi-outdoor” boiler units, only the burners and steam drum of which were enclosed, arranged in a square formation.
The ‘B’ station, commissioned in 1962, was to be only two Units, albeit each of 200MW capacity – equalling the output of the ‘A’ Station with half the hardware. Only one 425 foot chimney was required for the ‘B’ Station, but three cooling towers were provided.
On 16th August 1989 Privatisation saw the power station become part of National Power PLC. 27th January 1993 saw Unit 3 of Station ‘A’, having the highest hours at 179,579, shut down, followed a few months later by Unit 4 with 174,343 hours. Willington Station ‘A’ was finally “de-synchronised” from the National Grid with due ceremony at 1830hrs on 30th September 1994, the Unit concerned being the oldest – No.1 – having operated for 173,464 hours. Closure was a formality and took place on 31st May 1995. Unit 5 was closed 31st March 1998, leaving just the sixth and last unit to struggle on. By now down-rated to 188Mw, Unit 6 took its turn to be de-synchronised a year later on 31st March 1999 — thus ending the 41 year, 3 month & 14 day history of electricity generation at Willington.
