Macclesfield Gasometer

Another local icon or landmark that is no more. The old gasometer or gasholder was one of the most visible relics of the towns Victorian infrastructure and it remained in operation well in to the 2000s. I’m not entirely sure of its exact purpose but I gather that gasometers were an essential part of the old ‘town gas’ system, and that small parts of Macclesfield remained on this system long after its demise in the rest of the country. I’m still not sure where this coal based gas supply would have come from? But it (town gas) had a reputation for its very high toxicity in all states and I remember someone I knew, many years ago, quipping about the fact that Macclesfield was the last place in the UK were someone was still able to “gas themselves in a domestic oven!” Originally the gasometer would have been at the heart of Macclesfield’s Victorian street lighting system when this was the primary purpose of the early urban gas supply infrastructure.

The photo of the remaining holder frame above was taken in early 2016, it turned out to be a very lucky shot as none of this complex remains today. The photo of the gas holder in operation (or full) below was taken early 2007!

Prints of the above picture are available on museum grade paper, canvas or aluminium to large sizes – please contact for info. Exif data is generated automatically for the joy and amusement of photo geeks – see below.

Main picture exif:

• Taken: 5 May, 2016
• Aperture: ƒ/8
• Shutter speed: 1/500s
• ISO: 100
• Focal length: 20mm

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