Cirencester Gasworks

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Image 127 – What’s in an image? Sometimes quite a lot, more than meets the eye. I’m posting an image every day or so.

Cirencester Gasworks had its heyday before homes, offices and industries had electricity supplies. The gas was manufactured near this building on a site alongside the canal. Coal was brought in by barge and heated to create what was called ‘coal gas’ or ‘town gas’, coke, a sticky, bituminous liquid called ‘coal tar’, and ammonia. The coke was sold as fuel for industry and for domestic boilers. The gas was stored under pressure in huge, squat gas-holders floating on, and sealed by water; the stored, pressurised gas was fed to homes and businesses through underground pipes. Coal tar was good for surfacing roads, preserving timber, waterproofing buildings and boat hulls, and many other purposes. Ammonia was used as a cleaning agent.

The building in the photo, now a private residence, housed the gas company’s offices, I believe. Its curved end mimicked the shape of the gas holders nearby. This was an industrial part of the town. With the coming of the railways coal could be delivered more cheaply by steam train, delivered to the gas work’s private siding from the nearby Watermoon Station. The canal became less and less profitable as more and more transport migrated to rail.

When: 26th September 2023
Where: Watermoor, Cirencester

See also:

• Coal gas – Wikipedia

Cirencester

For convenience, here’s a list of all the Cirencester area images:

A417 roadworks, Advent Market, Bishops Walk, Baunton, Canal 1, 2, Castle Street, Christmas lights 1, 2, Church 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Churn flood, Countryside, Fallen tree, Fleece, Gasworks, Gloucester Street, Hare 1, 2, Hospital, Market Place 1, Phoenix Fest, Riverside Walk, Stone plaque, Stratton Meadow, Tank traps, View, Wonky 1, 2, Yellow Iris

Themed image collections

The links below will take you to the first post in each collection

Cirencester, Favourites, Irish holiday 2024, Roman villa

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