Monument record 1160/253 - Northampton Gasworks

The first gasholder had been constructed by 1847 by the Northampton Gas Light Company. By the early 20th century there were five gasholders on the site. The majority of the works had been decommissioned by 1985. Two remained by 2013; one is of a functional industrial structure, the other is more ornate. The ornate gas holder is of lattice girder construction, with cross-bracing which has rose detailing at the centre of each cross-brace.

{2} Building recording of last two gasholders prior to demolition. The decision to establish a gas lighting company in Northampton was taken in 1822, with a
parliamentary bill passed in 1823. The site chosen for the Northampton works was at Mill Holme, to the south of the town. The choice was dictated by available transport links with both the River Nene and the Grand Union Canal serving the site and enabling the effective transport of raw materials.
The works were complete and operational by 1824 and the company was immediately set the task of providing gas street lighting, with responsibility for maintaining the existing oil lamps ahead of their gradual replacement. The original site had ten retorts, including two small gasholders providing 24 hours supply, each housed within their own octagonal building.
Two additional gasholders had been added by 1848 to meet growing demand. Gas production doubled every decade from the 1850s to the 1880s. The existing gasholders were replaced with new, predominantly telescopic, examples in 1854, 1859, 1870 and 1878. In 1887 an agreement was signed to expand into new land to the south of the existing works at Baulmsholme including the construction of a new telescopic gasholder in 1889, surviving as Gasholder No 5.
The column guided design employed on Gasholder 5 had already been superceded and when, in 1900, further outlay was placed on the construction of a new manufacturing plant, and retorts, a new gasholder was added using the more modern guide frame system (Gasholder No 1). This brought the total number of gasholders to six. It was also decided that facilities were needed to deal with the residuals create by the gas process. A further eight acres were purchased on an adjacent site for the erection of a chemical works for the processing of sulphate of ammonia.
The company passed into public ownership 1949 and underwent reorganisation 1960 with the construction of the Southern Relief Road. The works involved the demolition of a number of structures, including the canteen, coke shed and Gasholder No 4. By the 1970s the site had been significantly altered with the removal of the historic core, including gasholders 2 and 3. The associated governor house, rectifier house and workshops were also removed with the clearance of the area.

{4} The Northampton Gas Light Company was incorporated in 1823. The first works were on a meadow called Mill Holme and were enlarged in 1854 and continued to expand until 1887 when additional lands at Baulmsholme, a meadow adjoining the existing works were purchased. In 1858 the company was reincorporated as the Northampton Gaslight Company. Glover-West Continuous Vertical Retorts (CVRs) were installed in 1914, 1918, 1921 and 1926. Additional lands for a chemical plant were acquired in 1920 and the limits of supply were extended in 1919 and 1925. The company took over the Weedon Gas Light and Coke Company Ltd in 1927, the Towcester Gas and Coke Company Ltd in 1931, the Long Buckby Gas Light Coke and Coal Company Ltd in 1933 and both the Newport Pagnell Gas and Coke Co and the Olney Gas Light Coke and Coal Company Ltd. In 1937. Vested in the East Midlands Gas Board from the Northampton Gaslight Company in 1949. A new Carburetted Water Gas (CWG) plant was built in 1952 and new Vertical Retort plant was being built in 1951 & 1955. In 1965 gas making plant present at the site included Onia-Geigy Oil Gas, CWG, CVRs and Tower Purification plant. Topsoe gas reforming plant was being built in 1966 and 1967 to make high pressure gas from Petroleum Products.

{5} In the early C20 there were five gasometers associated with this gasworks site, of which two survive. One of these, situated between Tanner Street and St Peter's Way, is a functional industrial structure, but the second, the subject of this application, is more ornate. It is located a short distance to the south, to the east of Towcester Road. The Northampton Gas Works, with four gasometers, is shown on this site on the 1887 Ordnance Survey (OS) map; however, the particular gasometer of interest here is not shown until the 1901 OS map.

The gasometer is of lattice girder construction, with cross-bracing. At the junction of each cross-brace is a metal rose detail.

Date: The gasholder dates to the late C19 and is a late example.
Design: The design is not innovative, and although it has some thoughtful detail, for example the rose at the centre of the cross-braces, this is otherwise standard.
Group Value: This was the latest of the gasometers to be constructed on the site of the gasworks. Of five gasometers, only two now survive, and none of the other structures on the site correspond with those shown on the OS map of 1901. This gasometer does not therefore have group value with other contemporary gas-related buildings.

Although of considerable local interest as part of Northampton's industrial heritage, this gasometer is not of special architectural or historical interest in the national context.

<1> Foard-Colby A., 2014, Archaeological observation, investigation and recording for remediation works at the former gasworks site, Towcester Road, Northampton, July-September 2014, checked (Report). SNN110133.

<2> Jones, A., 2013, Northampton Gas Holders Report: Historic Building Recording, November 2013 (Report). SNN111046.

<3> Thomas, J, 2013, Former Gasworks, Towcester Road, Northampton: Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment, May 2013 (Report). SNN112739.

<4> Thomas, R Prof, 2020, The Manufactured Gas Industry: Volume 3 Gazetteer, p. 632 (Gazetteer). SNN112477.

<5> English Heritage, Designation Advice Report, UDS Non-Designation case: Designation Adviser, December 2011 (Report). SNN113190.

Record last edited

Mar 4 2025 10:28AM