SDO21446 - Gasholders 1-3, Yarmouth Road, Poole, Dorset. Historic Building Recording Interim Report

‘AOC Archaeology Group was commissioned by SGN to undertake an historic building survey of the three redundant gasholders at Yarmouth Road in Poole, Dorset in advance of their demolition. The three gasholders on the site consist of two guide-framed gasholders (Nos 1 and 2) and another larger spiral-guided gasholder (No 3). Gasholder No 1, constructed in 1887, was constructed by S Cutler and Son with a capacity of 920,000ft³. An additional lift was also added by C & W Walker Ltd in 1903. The structure has been classified as a ‘Type 30’ gasholder, which is characterised by T-section standards, with other examples of the type including Hove (1876) and Sydenham. C W Walker Ltd were also responsible for Gasholder No 2 which was constructed in 1895 with a capacity of 1,750,000ft³. This structure has been classified as a ‘Type 32’ gasholder which is characterised by I-section standards, which was an advance from the ‘Type 30’ T-section design becoming more common by the 1890s onwards. Other examples of the type include Glasgow (1892) and (much later) Cambridge in the 1920s. Finally, the larger four-lift spiral-guided Gasholder No 3 to the north-east of the site had a much larger capacity of 5,000,000ft³. By the early-mid 20th century, spiral-guided gasholders were becoming more common and had all but replaced the guide-framed holders, and is a typical example of its type for the time. A further phase of works (Phase II) is required on all the gasholders during the demolition process to record the interior of the structures, the results of which will be incorporated into this report to create a final report on the site.’