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Report - - Edison Swan Cable Works, Lydbrook [December 2016] | Industrial Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - Edison Swan Cable Works, Lydbrook [December 2016]

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Polo

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Visited with @clebby & @Salmon.

History:
H.J. Smith & Co., established in 1910 as the Electric Wire & Cable Co. at the Trafalgar Works in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, moved into new premises on the other side of Stowfield Road near the River Wye and adjacent to the then Steam Railway Junction in 1912, to be known as the Lydbrook Cable Works. During the First World War, the Cable Works employed around 650 people, producing cable for the field telephones. Some 15,000 miles of it was made. The factory was then acquired by the Edison Swan Electric Co. in the mid 1920s, then employing around double the amount of staff (1200 people), producing Power Line Cables. It closed down in 1965 with the loss of some 840 jobs.

With the site known from 1991 as SCA Packaging Ltd., the factory was then taken over the following year by Reed Corrugated Cases Ltd. - a manufacturer of boxes and other packaging materials, employing approximately 450 people in 1985 and 270 in 1993.

Ever since I found out about urban exploring a few years back now, the Cable Works were always an option for us to visit. After @clebby invited me along recently, I figured it'd be about time to get out and do one of the few sites similar to this one so close to home - I wasn't disappointed!

A few hours spent in there went by very quickly, and not one sight of security and his dog. Although we did hear drive-bys and checks going on, we were lucky enough to see everything we wanted to see. Onto the photos:

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It was a nice site to finish 2016 off with. Cheers to @clebby and @Salmon for coming along, I really enjoyed it!

Thanks for looking!
 

wellingtonian

Subterráneo
Regular User
Good stuff and nicely captured.
This place doesn't seem to deteriorate. Looks exactly the same as my visit 3 years ago.
Glad you didn't get to meet Mr angry bastard and his equally angry pooch :thumb
 

Polo

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Some nice features left intact there :thumb

Good stuff and nicely captured.
This place doesn't seem to deteriorate. Looks exactly the same as my visit 3 years ago.
Glad you didn't get to meet Mr angry bastard and his equally angry pooch :thumb

Yeah, a lot of places were nicely kept.

I'm glad we didn't either, might have the pleasure one day if I go back sometime haha
 

Lord Oort

Fear is the little death
Regular User
Amazed you guys didn't run into our little friend, as Lenston said hes usually there 24/7 it seems. Last time I was down that way was to have a gander at the tunnel across the river, we spent five minutes checking out the cable works and ran into a very pissed off chap and dog telling us to eff off. Since we had already done the tunnel, we did.

Great snaps!
 

Wafster

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Why would you pay someone to look after a derelyct building for 7 odd year (or maybe more)
You'd either sell it or flatten it id assume
 

tumbles

Crusty Juggler
Staff member
Moderator
Why would you pay someone to look after a derelyct building for 7 odd year (or maybe more)
You'd either sell it or flatten it id assume

20 years. I remember it still in operation in 1994 but it didn't last much longer than that. The owners have this deluded theory that they can turn it into a business park. Occasionally people have used it.
 

ju1969

28DL Member
28DL Member
Why would you pay someone to look after a derelyct building for 7 odd year (or maybe more)
You'd either sell it or flatten it id assume
hi , I live in lydbrook and the story is that there are plans for a housing community to be built there.... but its been few years since I was told that so....who knows...
 
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