History

Air House Cooling Tower (418): Then And Now

Cooling towers could be found scattered around the site. They ranged from small, rickety wooden constructions with one fan set into the roof to huge multi-fan multiple-storey concrete structures. The largest cooling tower was the impressive Air House Cooling Tower, which was just concerned with the cooling of the eight compressor/exhauster sets in the Air House.

The original photographer stood on the roof of the Air House to get this shot of the Air House Cooling Towers to the south. The building was a simple rectangular framework with a series of blue fans on the roof and a maintenance staircase turning around the northern and western sides of the structure.

I also stood on the roof of the Air House and succeeded in capturing the same shot. However, the cooling tower had changed: the based was widened (presumably to increase the amount of water it held); this probably meant the staircase had to be replaced with a new one on the north of the building.

Air House G.E.C. Cooling Towers

Air House G.E.C. Cooling Towers in 2007. 31|03|07 © Simon Cornwell 2007

Bramshot Cooling Tower (579): Then And Now

The older Bramshot Cooling Tower was of concrete construction and was used initially by Cell 3 and Cell 4 (with Cell 3 West being added later). It held 650,000 gallons of water.

The Bramshot Cooling Towers have remained unchanged over its lifetime. However, it’s now started to look slightly dilapidated with wooden slats at the base of the structure rotting, the concrete spalling and the unpainted piping starting to rust.

Both the original photographer and I climbed the Plant House cooling tower to get the shot. (He climbed onto the roof for a slightly more angled shot; I stayed on the stairs to keep out the sight of security).

Cooling Towers for engine exhaust in Test Cells 3 and 4

The Bramshot cooling tower taken from the steps leading up the Plant House cooling tower. 31|03|07 © Simon Cornwell 2007