In 1836 The New Mills and Hayfield Gas Company
was established by Act of Parliament, but its right to supply
Hayfield lapsed. |
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Map circa 1915 |
Then in 1858 the Hayfield Gas Co was formed it supplied
gas for street lighting in the village as well as for domestic
and industrial use.
Flare burner
Just after the First World War in the works were modernised
and the Incandescent burner (Gas Mantle) came in to use. The
use of a Mantle gave more light and was cleaner than the 'Flare'
burners they replaced, resulting in an increased demand for domestic
gas, so a third Gas holder was erected to meet the demand.
Double Flare with reflector
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The first Street Gas Lamp in Hayfield
was lighted on 27th January 1859 |
Until then the only practical forms of domestic lighting
were Candles and Oil Lamps and of course day light, you were
up at day break and in by sunset no TV or Radio!
Cooking was on a fire range no gas or electric cookers
Oil Lamp
The industrial use of gas was limited as most of the print
works were making their own gas. |
Flare Burner with pilot light |
One must remember in those days Gas, Town Gas or Coal Gas
to give it its correct name was produced from Coal not from a
bore hole in the North Sea as it is today.
Gas was produced by 'cooking' coal in a airtight container,
producing Gas, Tar and Coke. The Coke, which was mainly carbon
was used as a fuel for the cooking process as was some of the
tarry residue but this gave off rather noxious fumes.
The gas produced by this method was full of impurities and had
to be cleaned before it could be used for lighting.
It was cooled to condense out impurities and scrubbed by bubbling
through water only then was it stored in Gas holders ready for
distribution. |
Experimental Incandescent Burner
(Gas Mantle) Circa 1886 |
This gas had a very distinctive smell unlike North
Sea gas which is odourless and has to have a smelly component
added for safety reasons
Hayfield Gas Works closed in the 1950s
Even the lane 'Gas House Lane' has been renamed 'Ridge Top Lane' |
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