| Description | The Blackpool Improvement Act of 1851 established a gas supply for the town from works which were located on the east side of Dale St. The undertaking was slow to develop however, and in 1862 it was taken over by Mr Crippen on a 7 year lease. In 1869 the Local Board resumed control although it retained the services of John Chew as Manager. He remained at the works for 51 years. The works site to the west of the railway line was on Princess St and soon required enlarging. In 1900 additional new works were built to the east of the railway on Marshall St and Rigby Rd. The two sites were connected by a subway underneath the railway line. The new works were continually improved and enlarged with major reconstruction in 1924. The undertaking was the first in the country to adopt the Glover-West system of continuous carbonisation in vertical retorts. However, the works still could not meet demand and in 1937 plans were drawn up for another large new works at Clayton Rd, Marton which were completed in 1940. Marton was a 45 acre site with private railway sidings on the outskirts of the town. In 1949 the undertaking became part of the Fylde Group of the NWGB. This collection contains mainly estate and property records. There is a small quantity of administrative, financial and legal material. There are 35 items relating to property including site plans, technical drawings and records of plant. There are also many technical records of distribution including mains books and plans. [1862 - 1949] |