It's been a while since my last visit to Ryton, when my objective was to proove that there was fact amongst the tales there was a bunker under the front offices, which I did...
My last objective was to climb the stacks. It had been a while since I had driven past so when my old man said that the place was about flat I was worried I had missed my chance.
Over a coffee at work today I chatted to an old fella who used to maintain the boilers in the building at the foot of the chimneys. "A 24mm spanner and your in" he explained. When he saw me take an adjustable from my box and put it aside for later he shouted "I told you 24mm... dont doubt me!!"
The old access to the site had been patched up, but there was no shortage of ways in. Most of the huge works I had watched shiny new cars being built in a year ago was now a mass of rubble and smashed concrete... how things changed. Over in one corner the chimneys stood high over the rubble.. I was not too late.
I made my way to their base, standing in the twisted wreckage of the boiler houses that once created the chimney's smoke. I walked around the huge cylinder and sure enough there was an oval door, just like the old fella had described. As it happened it was open, but I checked the size and he was bang on... 24mm!!!
Inside was a hell hole of soot and ash. Dust mask on and I began the arm burning single ladder to the top. Once there I reached up and went to move the hatch at the top... only to find it rusted solid
So no view, but at least I did complete my goal of reaching the top!
Back down I wondered around the ruins for a while, casting my mind back to all the attemps at recording the site, all of which seemed a very good use of time now.
On the way home I stopped at drive through..."Come from work" she said "yeah..." I said, assuming the young girl was refering to my filthy face. "You look like you have just crawled out of a chimney" she chuckeled! "Funny you should say..." as I told her of the nights escapades. She must have been impressed, I got extra chips lol!!
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The original ladder was welded to the side of the stack, and cageless!!
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Little reminder of the plants history in the base...
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My last objective was to climb the stacks. It had been a while since I had driven past so when my old man said that the place was about flat I was worried I had missed my chance.
Over a coffee at work today I chatted to an old fella who used to maintain the boilers in the building at the foot of the chimneys. "A 24mm spanner and your in" he explained. When he saw me take an adjustable from my box and put it aside for later he shouted "I told you 24mm... dont doubt me!!"
The old access to the site had been patched up, but there was no shortage of ways in. Most of the huge works I had watched shiny new cars being built in a year ago was now a mass of rubble and smashed concrete... how things changed. Over in one corner the chimneys stood high over the rubble.. I was not too late.
I made my way to their base, standing in the twisted wreckage of the boiler houses that once created the chimney's smoke. I walked around the huge cylinder and sure enough there was an oval door, just like the old fella had described. As it happened it was open, but I checked the size and he was bang on... 24mm!!!
Inside was a hell hole of soot and ash. Dust mask on and I began the arm burning single ladder to the top. Once there I reached up and went to move the hatch at the top... only to find it rusted solid
So no view, but at least I did complete my goal of reaching the top!Back down I wondered around the ruins for a while, casting my mind back to all the attemps at recording the site, all of which seemed a very good use of time now.
On the way home I stopped at drive through..."Come from work" she said "yeah..." I said, assuming the young girl was refering to my filthy face. "You look like you have just crawled out of a chimney" she chuckeled! "Funny you should say..." as I told her of the nights escapades. She must have been impressed, I got extra chips lol!!
View attachment 102805
View attachment 102806
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The original ladder was welded to the side of the stack, and cageless!!
View attachment 102808
Little reminder of the plants history in the base...
View attachment 102809
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