Geo-Trips :: One last look at the cooling towers

Ironbridge

A walk from Ironbridge, Wed, 4 Dec 2019 by Philip Halling

I was in Ironbridge back in the summer and whilst visiting some of the museums I took a couple of photographs of the cooling towers of the Ironbridge Power Station which ceased generating electricity in 2015. Knowing the towers were to be demolished during the coming winter I thought it would be good to return when the leaves have fallen thus hopefully getting a better view of them.

I’ve been thinking over visiting in recent weeks but the dull and very wet weather of November had put me off. It was by chance that on BBC regional news, ‘Midlands Today’ I saw a news item regarding the cooling towers and that they were to be demolished on Friday. This prompted me to visit the next day.

I parked in the car park near the Coop supermarket and walked along the bank of the River Severn to Abraham Darby III’s 1779 iron bridge, stopping on the way to take an atmospheric picture of the towers with mist above the Severn. Driving from Worcestershire it had been foggy but fortunately much of it cleared near Much Wenlock and at Ironbridge some was still lying in the river valley. After crossing the bridge over the river I followed the Shropshire Way along on old railway trackbed and then up through the wooded hillside below Benthall Edge. It was twenty years since I last walked here, I remember being impressed by the view of the cooling towers from here. It’s funny how memory plays tricks, the views from here weren’t as good as I remembered. Even with the trees bare, the last leaves being blow away by autumn winds, it was difficult to find a clear view through the trees of the cooling towers. I reached the top of Benthall Edge I then followed a bridleway which descended to a residential mobile home park called Pool View Park Homes. The site was dominated by the chimney, and to a lesser extent the cooling towers of the power station. Following the access road, I emerged on the A4169 near where the road crosses the River Severn near Buildwas Abbey. Three of the cooling towers can be seen from the bridge. Returning to Ironbridge I followed the Severn Way along the riverbank, briefly stopping to photograph the four towers from the access bridge to the power station.

Before getting in the car and returning home I returned to the same spot where I had first taken pictures of the towers this morning. Obviously the sun was lighting them from a different direction and it was last misty so the towers could be seen reflected in the waters of the river.

I had been very lucky with the weather, the following day was cloudier and the light not so good. Two days later at 11am on Friday 6 December I watched online as the towers were razed to the ground. Explosions took away the stilts the towers stand on the collapsed in the blink of an eye like paper.

I shall miss seeing them on the skyline.

Click the blue circles to see a photograph taken from that spot and read further information about the location. The blue lines indicate the direction of view. There is also a slideshow of this trip. ( )

↓ Scroll down here ↓

SJ6603 : Cooling towers of Ironbridge Power Station by Philip Halling
Cooling towers of Ironbridge Power Station
Cooling towers of Ironbridge Power Station on a misty December morning. The power... more

SJ6603 : Cooling towers of Ironbridge Power Station by Philip Halling
Cooling towers of Ironbridge Power Station
Cooling towers of Ironbridge Power Station on a misty December morning. The power... more

SJ6603 : Cooling tower, Ironbridge Power Station by Philip Halling
Cooling tower, Ironbridge Power Station
One of the cooling tower of Ironbridge Power Station on a misty December morning.... more

SJ6603 : The River Severn at Ironbridge by Philip Halling
The River Severn at Ironbridge
The River Severn at Ironbridge on a misty December day just upstream from the... more

SJ6703 : Ironbridge on a misty December day by Philip Halling
Ironbridge on a misty December day
The world's first bridge to be constructed in iron was built in 1779 by Abraham... more

SJ6703 : View over Ironbridge by Philip Halling
View over Ironbridge
View over Ironbridge on a misty December day. The bridge is famous as the oldest... more

SJ6703 : Bridge over a disused railway line by Philip Halling
Bridge over a disused railway line
Bridge over a disused railway line in Ironbridge. The railway used to connect... more

SJ6603 : Cooling tower, Ironbridge Power Station by Philip Halling
Cooling tower, Ironbridge Power Station
One of the four cooling towers of Ironbridge Power Station, viewed here from the... more

SJ6503 : Cooling towers of Ironbridge Power Station by Philip Halling
Cooling towers of Ironbridge Power Station
Two of the cooling towers of Ironbridge Power Station on a misty December morning.... more

SJ6503 : View to The Wrekin and Ironbridge Power Station by Philip Halling
View to The Wrekin and Ironbridge Power Station
View to The Wrekin from Benthall Edge. The chimney of the former Ironbridge Power... more

SJ6503 : Ironbridge Power Station by Philip Halling
Ironbridge Power Station
The chimney and part of the former Ironbridge Power Station viewed from Benthall Edge.

SJ6502 : Arable land on Benthall Edge by Philip Halling
Arable land on Benthall Edge
Arable land on Benthall Edge pictured on a misty December day.

SJ6503 : Cooling towers of Ironbridge Power Station by Philip Halling
Cooling towers of Ironbridge Power Station
Cooling towers of Ironbridge Power Station viewed from a footpath on Benthall... more

SJ6503 : Cooling towers at Ironbridge Power Station by Philip Halling
Cooling towers at Ironbridge Power Station
Two of the four cooling towers of Ironbridge Power Station viewed from a footpath... more

SJ6503 : 'Cooling Tower Demolition' by Philip Halling
'Cooling Tower Demolition'
This is one of a many information notices around Ironbridge Power Station warning... more

SJ6503 : A residential park with a view by Philip Halling
A residential park with a view
Pool View Park Homes, a residential park with a view, but not for much longer as... more

SJ6503 : Pool View Park Homes by Philip Halling
Pool View Park Homes
Pool View Park Homes pictured here on a frosty December day.

SJ6503 : Information notice  in Pool View Park Homes site by Philip Halling
Information notice in Pool View Park Homes site
This is one of a many information notices around Ironbridge Power Station warning... more

SJ6403 : Site of the former Ironbridge Power Station by Philip Halling
Site of the former Ironbridge Power Station
Viewed from the road to Pool View Park Homes, part of the site of the former... more

SJ6503 : Ironbridge Power Station by Philip Halling
Ironbridge Power Station
The chimney and four cooling towers of Ironbridge Power Station.

SJ6404 : Bridge House and the River Severn by Philip Halling
Bridge House and the River Severn
Bridge House and the River Severn pictured on a December day, for a similar in May... more

SJ6404 : Cooling towers of Ironbridge Power Station by Philip Halling
Cooling towers of Ironbridge Power Station
The cooling towers of Ironbridge Power Station pictured from the bridge over the... more

SJ6404 : Pastureland beside the River Severn by Philip Halling
Pastureland beside the River Severn
Pastureland beside the River Severn near Ironbridge Gorge.

SJ6504 : Ironbridge Power Station by Philip Halling
Ironbridge Power Station
Part of the disused Ironbridge Power Station viewed across the River Severn.

SJ6504 : Bridge over the River Severn by Philip Halling
Bridge over the River Severn
Bridge to the former Ironbrideg Power Station crossing the River Severn.

SJ6504 : Cooling towers of Ironbridge Power Station by Philip Halling
Cooling towers of Ironbridge Power Station
The four cooling towers of Ironbridge Power Station reflected in the River Severn.... more

SJ6503 : Cooling towers of Ironbridge Power Station by Philip Halling
Cooling towers of Ironbridge Power Station
The four cooling towers of Ironbridge Power Station reflected in the River Severn.... more

SJ6603 : Cooling towers of Ironbridge Power Station by Philip Halling
Cooling towers of Ironbridge Power Station
Cooling towers of Ironbridge Power Station silhouetted by the low late autumn sun.... more

SJ6603 : Cooling towers of Ironbridge Power Station by Philip Halling
Cooling towers of Ironbridge Power Station
One last look at the cooling towers of Ironbridge Power Station. This picture is... more

SJ6603 : Cooling towers of Ironbridge Power Station by Philip Halling
Cooling towers of Ironbridge Power Station
Two of the cooling towers and chimney of Ironbridge Power Station. These towers... more

SJ6603 : Cooling towers of Ironbridge Power Station by Philip Halling
Cooling towers of Ironbridge Power Station
Three of the cooling towers of Ironbridge Power Station.

All images © Philip Halling and available under a Creative Commons licence external link.

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