kissfoto
01-12-2006, 18:13
Spike Island was the birthplace of the British chemical industry. In the late 19th century the area was dominated by Hutchinson's (See: John Hutchinson (http://www2.halton.gov.uk/content/tourismandleisure/localhistory/johnhutchinson?a=5441)) and Gossage's huge factories, and a maze of railway lines criss-crossed the island. The Sankey Canal and the Wet Dock were always busy with boats carrying cargo to the Mersey and the ports of the world beyond.
By the early 20th century, the development of more efficient processes, and the introduction of new legislation on pollution, made the old factories obsolete and sent the chemical industry on Spike Island into decline.
The works, once new and revolutionary, now stood derelict. The disused factories, abandoned canal and piles of waste became a terrible eyesore in the years that followed. However in 1975, Halton Borough Council and Cheshire County Council began reclaiming the land and by 1982 Spike Island was transformed into the kind of green open space you see today. Now the woodlands, grasslands and watersides are an important haven for wildlife and a place for people to enjoy the countryside without ever leaving the town.
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h150/Fusion_2006/Spike%20Island/688K6720.jpg
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h150/Fusion_2006/Spike%20Island/688K6619.jpg
By the early 20th century, the development of more efficient processes, and the introduction of new legislation on pollution, made the old factories obsolete and sent the chemical industry on Spike Island into decline.
The works, once new and revolutionary, now stood derelict. The disused factories, abandoned canal and piles of waste became a terrible eyesore in the years that followed. However in 1975, Halton Borough Council and Cheshire County Council began reclaiming the land and by 1982 Spike Island was transformed into the kind of green open space you see today. Now the woodlands, grasslands and watersides are an important haven for wildlife and a place for people to enjoy the countryside without ever leaving the town.
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h150/Fusion_2006/Spike%20Island/688K6720.jpg
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h150/Fusion_2006/Spike%20Island/688K6619.jpg