Now l must admit l was one of those who was sorry to see the last gas holder finally dismantled. The last skyline reminder of Bath’s industrial past down there on the western side of the River Avon.
It’s a brownfield site that is rapidly now being redeveloped and offering residential accommodation in a city with scarce land resources and a lot of people looking for homes.
Developers Crest Nicholson put a time-lapse camera in place to record its demolition and have given the Virtual Museum access to it for everyone to see.
Gasometer or gasholder? Well, according to Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_holder :
“The term gasometer was originally coined by William Murdoch, the inventor of gas lighting, in the late 18th century.[1]
Despite the objections of his associates that his so-called “gasometer” was not a meter but a container, the name was retained and came into general use.
The word is also used to describe a gas meter (a meter for measuring the amount of gas flowing through a particular pipe). The term “gasometer” is discouraged for use in technical circles, where the term “gasholder” is preferred.”
Whatever – this footage comes courtesy of photographer Nick Smith who has been capturing images of the development site from the start.
