Historic moment landmark Fiddlers Ferry cooling towers are demolished
03.12.2023 - 11:45
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
This is the moment the cooling towers at Fiddlers Ferry power station were demolished. But heavy fog obscured the view for many spectators when four of the eight landmark towers on the outskirts of Warrington came down in a controlled explosion on Sunday morning.
Located on the banks of the River Mersey, the power station was decommissioned in March 2020 after nearly half a century of use. There was no set time given for the demolition, with a window of between 8am and noon given.
As seen on the official Facebook livestream of the event, which attracted over 1,500 viewers, the cooling towers were demolished at approximately 9.35am, removing a famous part of the local skyline. At the 48 minute mark of the livestream, a bang was heard and the four towers collapsed.
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Dust from the explosion began to fill the area nearby. But, due to heavy fog this morning, many watching from nearby fields and vantage points had no clear view of the collapse.
Pictures from the scene just just how badly their view was obscured.
At its peak, the Fiddlers Ferry could produce enough electricity to power around two million homes. Peel L&P subsidiary Peel NRE purchased the 820-acre site in July 2022 and the company is demolishing the power station in stages. Some 1,700 homes and industrial units are earmarked for the site.
As well as the cooling towers, the coal stockyard, and former administrative buildings will be