Thank you to all those who have posted replies, or contacted me with advice
or information. I suspect that not so many have actually got what is
probably the retort house building being converted for residential use,
with not all of the gas works site within the planning application, and the
rest of the site not fully investigated.
I was sent the plan of a small country works, which I found of enormous
help. Especially as I have three small town gas works, plus some country
house ones.
I have tried research, I found quite a lot previously on google images, and
google books, describing the process but the plans were missing.
I visited a University Library last week, and looked at William B. KING'S
TREATISE ON THE SCIENCE AND PRACTICE OF THE MANUFACTURE AND DISTRIBUTION OF
COAL GAS, 3 volumes, eds Thomas Newbigging and WT. There are a number of
versions of this,one from Samuel Hughes in 1853, which I think is on google
books, to ones by King in 1872, and later ones. The one I was able to look
at covered up to 1889. Volume 2 had a chapter on small country gas works,
with plans of a number of them, and plenty of plans of bigger ones. British
Library has a copy (or 2). The age of these books mean you have to go to
them, they cannot be borrowed.I had to sketch the plans etc, I was not
allowed to copy or photograph them.
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