Visited here with my usual two mates. A nice relaxed wander I thought, but my companions were still on edge for a bit for some strange reason. This has been posted on here a few times, but it’s worth it for that decaying reception area and offices. Even the maintenance garage was quite nice with lovely colours shining through. Having worked in a council depot myself but on a bigger scale, this was an enjoyable visit.
Not a lot of history really can be said on a council depot. Although parts are prob older than you think. Many council depots where built in the thirties when councils were growing the works side of things for unemployed people. They offered workers better wages, and terms and food conditions. And also a job for life, that’s far from true nowadays any old public workforce, they have all been privatised and have made severe cuts over the years, normally in the wrong areas. Our depot had garages for bin Lorrie’s and gritters and highway Lorrie’s. A massive stores with paint, kitchens, uniforms, electrical and plumbing supplies etc. it had a blacksmiths shop, a woodwork shop, A painting team, gas engineers, gardeners, street cleaners, a transport team, wages department, HR department. It had every trade you could think of and undertake any job. The whole site is flattened now ready for houses. This had that typical council depot feel to it. Offices for managers, maintenance areas and sheds for storage of materials. Also its own fuel depot, I remember we use to have our own petrol pumps, and an old boy just had the job of filling your truck up, they soon became elecrtronic with a key fob. The depot closed down in 2011, which I can prob guess that it was contracted out to a private highways company and work was almiganated into the companies other work.
Starting off with some externals.
Starting off inside with the garage area with a small office and a few pits.
Proper built work benches.
Toilet for the office workers, was a few offices near here but they were bland.
Workers toilets
Mess room for the workers, they do call them mess rooms still.
Heading into the receptiin area with decaying corridors.
The decaying offices.
A few of the huts outside, these are older than the rest.
Not a lot of history really can be said on a council depot. Although parts are prob older than you think. Many council depots where built in the thirties when councils were growing the works side of things for unemployed people. They offered workers better wages, and terms and food conditions. And also a job for life, that’s far from true nowadays any old public workforce, they have all been privatised and have made severe cuts over the years, normally in the wrong areas. Our depot had garages for bin Lorrie’s and gritters and highway Lorrie’s. A massive stores with paint, kitchens, uniforms, electrical and plumbing supplies etc. it had a blacksmiths shop, a woodwork shop, A painting team, gas engineers, gardeners, street cleaners, a transport team, wages department, HR department. It had every trade you could think of and undertake any job. The whole site is flattened now ready for houses. This had that typical council depot feel to it. Offices for managers, maintenance areas and sheds for storage of materials. Also its own fuel depot, I remember we use to have our own petrol pumps, and an old boy just had the job of filling your truck up, they soon became elecrtronic with a key fob. The depot closed down in 2011, which I can prob guess that it was contracted out to a private highways company and work was almiganated into the companies other work.
Starting off with some externals.
Starting off inside with the garage area with a small office and a few pits.
Proper built work benches.
Toilet for the office workers, was a few offices near here but they were bland.
Workers toilets
Mess room for the workers, they do call them mess rooms still.
Heading into the receptiin area with decaying corridors.
The decaying offices.
A few of the huts outside, these are older than the rest.
