Oxted Gasholder - Courtyard Gardens Build - June 2019

On site at the Courtyard Gardens housing development for 111 luxury apartments.

Welcome to this months June blog about the St William Courtyard Gardens development here in Oxted, this blog is number 6, previous ones can be found here.

For my regular readers and locals, you will be aware that the gas holder that once stood on this site for over 50 years is no more, its removal has made way for the construction of 111 luxury apartments due for completion summer 2021, my regular monthly blogs will keep you updated about the progress.

The buildings works are beginning to take shape, the previous two bases where the gas holders once sat are less visible now. This photograph taken on 11 June 2019.

Moving on…

I look forward to my monthly site visits because each time I photograph I can see a vast difference that never ceases to amaze me, and this time was no exception. I know very little (maybe nothing) about the building process and find it fascinating to see the different processes involved, from the excavation, to the soil examination, to the air purifiers, that intermittently blast a mist of a fragrance that is reminiscent of freshly ironed cotton sheets, into the atmosphere to dissipate any potential soil odours. A series of vibration and noise mechanisms are in place to monitor in real time the vibration and noise emitted from activities on site, and dust suppression is in place to settle any excess from spreading.

The remaining rim of the base of the gas holder is over one metre wide and over 5 metres deep/high. During the removal process we have heard a tapping sound during working hours (my studio backs onto the site), which has been the result of the gradual destruction of the concrete to make way for the building works to take place. All of the hardcore on site is recycled for use during the building process.

The photographs below show the preparation of the ground works before the sheet piling takes place next week during a six week period. There is no longer gas on the site as all essential gas equipment has been relocated, but occasionally people may notice some smells as the next phase of groundworks begins, but hopefully the air fragrance will be sufficient to destroy this. There will also be increased noise and vibration during this period. I will be on site in July to photograph this next stage.

The photographs below give you a sense of what it is like.

Machinery attachments for the different excavation processes.

The rim of the gas holder is clearly visible during the excavation process to remove this.

This angle shows the width of the remaining base of the gas holder.

Monitors record sound and vibration in real time to keep this to a minimum.

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A series of vibration and noise mechanisms are in place to monitor in real time the vibration and noise emitted from activities on site, and dust suppression is in place to settle any excess from spreading.

A view through the many safety barriers.

Excavation in preparation for the sheet piling.

When this is fully operational it sprays a fine mist of fragranced water to dissipate any unpleasant gas odours that may remain in the soil.

Ground preparation for the next stage.

The temporary electricity generator for the porta cabins.

The remaining base of the gas holder is over one metre thick over 5 metres high/deep, is gradually broken down in preparation for the sheet piling.

A view from the former Johnsdale car park, the water is the result of a heavy few days/weeks of rainfall.

An excess of water due to the rainfall, a pump is brought in to drain it away.

Each time I am on site I meet a different team of contractors as the development grows, but the two people from St William, who have remained constant are Joe Pallister the Project Manager and Ness Kingham, the lovely Site Manager, who accompanies me on my visits and tells me more about the build process each time, very educational. On this particular occasion the heavy rain over the past few weeks was one of the topics of conversation as it had made the site very muddy and slippery, a pump was needed to drain the excess water that had collected at the lowest point, it looks like we have experienced the wettest June on record!

The photographs show different machinery that is required on site to excavate the soil, move rubble and prepare the surface for the next stage. What once looked like a familiar space to me no longer feels or looks how l once remembered it.

Deliveries guided to the site by the traffic marshals for minimum traffic disruption.

The entrance to the site.

The site from behind the flats in Station Road East.

Contractors on site.

The entrance to the site from the porta cabins.

Rubble recycled and used as hardcore.

Machinery at work, on the left the porta cabins that houses a team of professionals.

The water from the recent rain downfall shows the tubing to drain this from the site.

It was very slippery and muddy on site this month due to the rainfall.

The driveway behind the gates to the site.

Rain water at the lowest point had to be drained away.

If you would like to keep up to date and sign-up to my monthly round-up newsletter please scroll down to the ‘Subscribe to Our Newsletter’ button below to enter your contact email address.

I’ll be back next month with further updates, watch this space for further developments.

Thanks for reading, bye for now.

Stella

To read other previous blogs these can be found on the ‘Featured’ blogs below by using the arrows on the right to scroll through the past 30 blogs.

Oxted Gasholder April 2019 - Going, Going, Gone!

Welcome to my fourth blog about the demolition of the gas holder that I’m photographing for posterity and to satisfy my own curiosity.

Since I last wrote on 15th March a lot has happened at the demolition site and the gas holder, as you can see has gone for good!

As expected, once the roof was dismantled early last month as described in my previous blog, the next stage to remove the surround of 9 rings high took less time as a cherry picker was used with an operative working to cut away until it was at a manageable height for the next stage to take place.

The final rings of the structure came down very fast indeed with the help of a very experienced operator who, with much precision controlled a cutting machine, which resembled a pre-historic creature that chomped its way through the steel, in what appeared to be an effortless operation.

We experienced much rumbling here at the studio which sent me running with my cameras in hand to capture some of the final stages which happened within 3 days at the end of March.

I’m going to leave the photographs to do the talking as they show the final stages of the demolition process.

It really was a matter of going, going, gone and for good!

The below sequence is from the top of Snatts Hill.

Ring by ring it's coming down!

Almost there!

What's behind it?

Sad to see it go?

Almost gone...

Gone! You can see the train station platform in the distance.

Now that the demolition process is nearing completion, next month in May, St William, the contractors will take their positions on-site to put in place the start of the building process for 111 luxury - 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments and penthouses.

You can see a very impressive model of the housing development at Robert Leech Estate Agents opposite the studio, it really is worth taking a look if you are keen to buy one or are just curious to know more.

The below sequence looking from a window at Priory House Dental Practice.

The first incision splits the circle.

The first piece disappeared in no time.

Cutting the vertical posts releases the sides.

Within a few seconds if was down.

It was very noisy!

I didn't want to miss a second of this moment.

Cutting each vertical post allows more movement.

It crumbled like a piece of, well I suppose steel, it was very graceful.

From Station Road East, between Carpet Right and Gloss.

Ring by ring it was coming down.

It's been here so long what will it look like when it's gone.

It's shrinking...

Workmen arrive to put the foundations in for the utilities.

How come we are noticing it so much more now that it's going?

Almost there...

The last bit...

Vanished!

A look on-site.

This cutter resembles a pre-historic creature, don't you agree?

When the first pieces of steel are dropped in here it sounds like they are falling into a bottomless pit as the sound vibrates around the site.

Two machines work in unison cutting and picking up the pieces for recycling.

Filled and ready to go including gas canisters that have been on-site for decades.

Off the container goes for recycling...

The site is vast, I felt privileged to be given access to capture images like this one. The pieces of steel that fell in the pit are almost cleared.

Various viewpoints.

An operative in a cherry picker is used to cut away the sides.

A view from Johnsdale.

From Ellice Road car park.

Before and...

...after!

I use to park my car here at the foot of the gas holder.

Taken on 27 March 2019.

Introducing the utilities.

Photographed on 11th April 2019.

It really has been a captivating and mesmerising experience photographing the process so far from various viewpoints. The photographs I have shared are just a small selection from a greater number that I intend to share at a later date.

I am going to be continuing the story over the next two years during construction and the completion of Courtyard Gardens, a wonderful new addition to our unique town - Oxted.

I hope this glimpse has taken you on an insightful historical journey.

If you would like to subscribe to my monthly round-up newsletters where these blogs will feature, please scroll down to the bottom of the page to add your contact details on the ‘Subscribe to Our Newsletter’ button.

If you missed the previous 3 newsletters you can see them here on the blog page of the website.

In the meantime enjoy the weekend and I’ll be back next month with the next instalment.

Bye for now…

Stella

To read other previous blogs these can be found on the ‘Featured’ blogs below by using the arrows on the right to scroll through the past 30 blogs.

Mother's Day Gift - Exclusive Bluebell Photoshoot

Surprise your mum with a Mother’s Day voucher to enjoy with the family next month!

The bluebells are beginning to flower and soon the woodlands will be filled with a carpet of fragrant smelling wonderful wild flowers.

This is one of our most popular times of year, with exciting photo-shoots for returning families and to welcome new ones too.

Try not to miss this opportunity because the bluebells are in flower for only a limited time and are at their best for no more than two to three weeks, from past experience this is usually late April early May but does vary depending on the weather.

It’s time to enjoy the experience of a bluebell photo-shoot so do get in touch so I can reserve your time and place - simply call the studio on 01883 722282 or even better come and say hello at the studio, our opening hours as below.

We can personalise a gift voucher just for your mum to let her know just how special and valued she is, go on you know she’ll love it!

Follow this link to our ‘Bluebells’ page where you can find out more.

STUDIO OPENING HOURS

Tuesday-Friday 10 am - 5 pm and Saturday 10 am - 3 pm

Thank you I look forward to photographing you!

Stella

To read other previous blogs these can be found on the ‘Featured’ blogs below by using the arrows on the right to scroll through the past 30 blogs.

Oxted Gasholder - Demolition - March 2019

Crane in position for the dismantling of the roof structure..

Welcome to my third newsletter about the dismantling of the gas holder.

Documenting the process of the demolition of this beast is an eye opener as I watch small and large segments of the roof being cut away and dropped into the pit of the structure.

From the outside it doesn’t look like too much has happened but I can assure you it has, the contractor John F Hunt has been working carefully to dismantle the roof in the first instance, leaving the sides free for dismantling.

So far almost 500 cubic metres of metal have been removed from the gas holder and taken away in skips for recycling and that’s just from the roof!

As the studio is so near to the site we can occasionally feel the ground rumble as we hear pieces of metal falling, other than that it’s easy to forget that such a vast demolition is taking place just a stones throw away!

There are various viewpoints I choose to photograph from to show the progress and the difference for comparison further down the line, I have access to photograph on site too as some of the photographs below show.

Cutting pieces from the roof which fall into the pit ready for recycling

Sparks fall into the pit from the cutting process

Each piece of steel is cut in between the trusses

The pieces fall into the pit

A small 'porthole' at the base of the gas holder

The crane that holds the basket the two operatives work from

Slowly but surely the trusses are exposed before they can be removed so the sides can be dismantled

Sparks falling against the discoloured interior of the gas holder

The mobile crane has now been exchanged for a cherry-picker which gives extra stability at height, allowing the team to work under greater wind speeds.

The crane in position during the dismantling of the roof

Systematically cutting piece by piece to expose the trusses

A piece from the side of the gas holder removed so the crane has access to the furthest part of the roof to complete the top removal

The same viewpiont from the site

The trusses are clearly visible in the roof

From ground level the cherry-picker in position for cutting away the sides

Close up of the cutting process

As part of the installation of the new utilities into the development for gas, water, electricity and data, St William will soon be undertaking two trial holes in the pavement outside the project on Station Road East. The purpose of this is to establish the location of the services within the pavement to determine the requirements for any service diversions or reinforcement to the pavement build up.

This clever machine sprays a fine mist of water to settle any dust particles

Now that the trusses have been removed the sides are coming down piece by piece

Other useful information to know is that site investigation has been undertaken at various points around the former Johnsdale car park, and there is more to be done around the gas holder in the coming weeks.

This work involves hand digging small trial holes for soil sampling, then cable percussive and rotary drilling to establish the depth and description of the geological make-up of the ground.

The sides are coming down, row by row

Viewpoint from the former Johnsdale traders car park

The site as of 14 March 2019

The gas holder is going to look very different this time next month as the sides come down reducing the height bit by bit.

I’ll be out and about during the course of next month photographing the different stages, it should be virtually down by the end of April, let’s hope the weather is fine and dry so as not to slow down the process.

I went on site this morning, Friday 15th March and wanted to share the latest update photographs as below! The sound of the metal as it is dumped in the container is deceptive, it sounds like it is falling into a huge deep pit as the sound resonates.

Removing the metal pieces and dumping in the container makes a huge rumbling sound

The roof has gone and the sides are coming down

That’s it for this month!

To read my first blog please click here and to read the second one please click here.

If you would like to keep up to date and sign-up to my monthly round-up newsletter please scroll down to the ‘Subscribe to Our Newsletter’ button to enter your contact email address.

Bye for now.

Stella

To read other previous blogs these can be found on the ‘Featured’ blogs below by using the arrows on the right to scroll through the past 30 blogs.

Oxted Gasholder- Courtyard Gardens - February 2019

The end of the day during the start of the dismantling process.

Welcome to my second blog about the dismantling of the Oxted Gasholder in preparation for a new housing development by St. William Homes called Courtyard Gardens.

As many of you already know Oxted has been the home of SMS Creative Photography since February 1997 and the home of the gasholder for decades!

For those of you who don’t know where the gasholder is, it currently resides behind the studio, but not for much longer…

Over the course of the 2.5 year project my aim is to capture a photojournalistic viewpoint for posterity and to satisfy my own creative curiosity, my monthly blogs will give you a small insight into the process.

Here are some interesting progress facts about what has happened so far and what we can expect;

The site was cleared at ground level by removing trees, shrubs and the small out buildings, the levelling of the ground was in preparation for the delivery of the mobile crane which arrived on Sunday 3 February at 8am to a small waiting crowd.

Demolition will be done by two operatives working from a basket attached to the mobile crane. They will systematically cut small sections of the gasholder piece by piece which will then be contained within the gasholder prior to removal from site in skips, with demolition due for completion in May 2019.

Following completion of the demolition the next activity will be to commence the groundworks and piling in preparation to build 3 blocks that will house the 111 homes within the completed development.

In order to prepare the site for the concrete structure to be built for all 3 blocks within the development, the equivalent volume of nearly 3 Olympic sized swimming pools of soil will need to be taken away!

Even more fascinating to know;

The first structures on the site including the gasworks are shown from 1896 on OS maps.

There were previously three gasholders on the site, two have since been demolished but the concrete bases remain. The existing decommissioned 30m gasholder sits over the footprint of the former gas generation plant.

It really is huge!

I recently went on-site to get up close and personal to see just what does the inside of a gasholder look like! Believe me when I say it is huge and pretty overwhelming too, having observed it from afar for so long it was daunting to have the opportunity to virtually step inside it! The photograph above of me posing in front of the gaping hole gives you some idea of the scale.

This plaque sits at the bottom of the gasholder with a date of 1967 on the clip right of centre.

Local children pose for photographs waving purple Oxted Regen flags to witness the arrival of the crane.

The arrival of the 60 tonne mobile crane on Oxted's Station Road East.

The crane making its way to the site for the start of the dismantling process.

The arrival of a 60 tonne crane early on the morning of Sunday 3 February attracted a small crowd to witness the occasion.

A beautiful piece of urban art.

Rubble cleared from the site.

The full width of the site for development.

The equivalent volume of nearly 3 Olympic sized swimming pools of soil will need to be taken away to level the ground.

Inserting new electricity cables.

Cable for the rehousing of the sub-station.

The works taking place on Station Road East outside the studio is the final part of the removal of the electricity sub station which previously sat in the grounds of the gasholder. This sub station has a new home at the council offices, at the bottom end of Station Road East on the opposite side of the road, the cables have to be redirected from underneath number 85, next door to the studio, and fed under the road and down to the new sub station, the process once complete should be about 4 weeks.

The crane in position to carry the basket for the operatives.

The base where a previous gasholder sat.

The site as of 14 February 2019

Relocating the electricity cables to house the new sub station.

The images above show the progress so far.

Two operatives working from a basket attached by a mobile crane to systematically cut pieces of the gasometer.

That’s it for this month, please join me next month for the next instalment, in the meantime I’ll be out and about capturing new imagery to reflect on in years to come.

To read my first blog about the process please click here.

If you would like to sign-up to my monthly round-up newsletter please scroll down to the ‘Subscribe to Our Newsletter’ button to enter your contact email address.

Thanks for reading!

Stella

To read other previous blogs these can be found on the ‘Featured’ blogs below by using the arrows on the right to scroll through the past 30 blogs.

Gasometer - The Changing Face of Oxted

It’s a new day it’s a new dawn and it’s coming down!

The long awaited dismantling and demolition of our Gasometer here in Oxted has started!

Over the past few years I have photographed this majestic structure, that stands in our town centre, from various viewpoints - it has been part of our landscape for so long now that we have taken it for granted and hardly notice it anymore - that’s until now, with the activity of fluorescent safety clothed workmen and the hustle and bustle associated with any new development.

The Gasometer will be replaced over the next two and a half years by a wonderful development of 111 luxury apartments with landscaped podium gardens and parking on site, the development is due to be completed in the Summer of 2021.

I’ve got my steel toe boots, fluorescent boiler suit and hard hat at the ready together with my cameras to photograph the long process for posterity.

Hold on to your hats and read on to find out more…

The photograph above was taken in 2016 showing our mammoth landmark bathed in a pool of afternoon sunlight.

16 January 2019 - the demolition process begins.

The demolition process is scheduled over the next 5-6 months, during this time I’ll be photographing the progress on site and from further afield too, I want to document our social history and to be a part of something new and exciting as we watch new blood being built into our town by St William.

The first stage of the demolition process is to remove the interior ‘roof’ or ‘moveable cap’ that now sits on the floor of the structure that use to raise when it filled with gas, it will then be deconstructed piece by piece from the top down.

The landscape is going to look empty once it has been taken down, it has been part of our view for so long, come rain, shine or snow!

Follow my monthly blogs during the next two years to see the progress via Facebook and Instagram or sign up to my newsletters via the ‘subscribe to our newsletters’ button on the footer below.

I’ll be back next month with the next instalment.

Thanks

Stella

To read other previous blogs these can be found on the ‘Featured’ blogs below by using the arrows on the right to scroll through the past 30 blogs.

Stage one of the demolition process 18 January 2019.