Country England Opened 1950 | Primary fuel Coal-fired Decommission date 1998 | |
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Location Dorset, South West England Similar Newton Abbot power sta, Rosemanowes Quarry, Seabank Power Station, Langage Power Station, Twin Sails Bridge | ||
Poole Power Station was a Coal-fired power station located in Hamworthy, Poole in Dorset. Its 325 ft (100 m) tall twin chimneys were prominent landmarks and it was in fact the tallest building in Dorset until its partial demolition in 1993.
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Lego poole power station
History
The station was constructed between 1946 and 1950, built out of local brick. Before construction could begin, 250,000 tonnes of chalk was imported from a quarry in Sturminster Marshall. To build the power station, millions of three colour bricks were made by Skykes and Sons of Creekmoor and The Upton Brick Works. Construction of the station required the driving of 30–40 ft piles. But, for the onlooker, it was the two 325 ft (100m) tall chimneys that were the most noticeable feature. The station was originally intended to burn coal but an oil fired burner was installed in 1955. In its heyday, the station employed over 400 people.
Demolition
On February 2, 1993, the 325 ft chimneys of the power station were demolished, in front of an audience of approximately 7000 people. In December 1993, eight coal bunkers, containing 1600 tonnes of steel were demolished. However, the main building would not be gone until March 1994, which contained over 14000 tonnes of steel.
The site today
Today, the site is a major brownfield location and pylons still exist on the site. The access road to the Twin Sails Bridge cuts through the site.