- Ninety pupils from Grange Federation School learn about Swindon’s historic links with the gas industry
• Interactive National Grid session showed pupils how the former gasworks in Gipsy Lane once supplied locals with gas for cooking and heating
• Work to prepare the site for redevelopment is due for completion by the end of the year
Pupils went back in time with National Grid to learn about the important role the gas industry has played in Swindon’s past.
National Grid representatives spent a morning exploring the history of the former gasworks in Gipsy Lane, with year six pupils at the Grange Federation School in Delamere Drive on Thursday 3rd December.
Starting in the 19th century the New Swindon Gas Company made so called ‘town gas’ from coal at the site. Gas production continued for around a century until the discovery of natural gas in the North Sea in the 1960s. The gas holders continued to be used for gas storage until changes in technology made them obsolete and they were subsequently removed.
The pupils learned about life in Victorian times before getting hands-on with an experiment to turn solids and liquids into gas. They also tried on some of the safety gear which would have been used by gas workers at Gipsy Lane, which taught them about the importance of safety and protective clothing.
Andy Williams, Science Co-ordinator for Grange Federation said, “It was a fantastic opportunity to have the National Grid team visit us at the Grange, our pupils were left with a new appreciation for energy and where it comes from. The children enjoyed learning about Swindon’s history and getting experimental with gases. The session was a great mix of local history and science.”
Samantha Rendell, Land Regeneration Manager at National Grid, added: “We want to thank the pupils and staff at Grange Federation for their warm welcome. Sharing the knowledge and experience we have at National Grid with the community is an important part of us acting as a responsible business. Using our education sessions to enhance the curriculum for young people in history and science benefits their learning and inspires future engineers. We really enjoyed delivering the session and showing the children the important role gas has played in Swindon’s history.”
National Grid’s work to clean up the site began in August this year and is due to be completed later this month (December 2015). The work has involved clearing the grounds of materials leftover from the days when the site was operational, which will free up the land for redevelopment.
Anyone wanting more information on the work can contact the National Grid Community Relations team on 0800 073 1047. The line is open from 7am -7pm Monday to Friday and 7am-1pm on Saturday.
Notes to editors - archive
National Grid is one of the largest investor-owned energy companies in the world and was named Responsible Business of the Year 2014 by Business in the Community. This accolade acknowledges all of our efforts in getting involve with the things that really matter to us and to society. We own and manage the grids that connect people to the energy they need, from whatever the source. In Britain and the north-eastern states of the US we run systems that deliver gas and electricity to millions of people, businesses and communities.
In Britain, we run the gas and electricity systems that our society is built on, delivering gas and electricity across the country. In the North Eastern US, we connect more than seven million gas and electric customers to vital energy sources, essential for our modern lifestyles.
National Grid in the UK:
- We own the high-voltage electricity transmission network in England and Wales, operating it across Great Britain
- We own and operate the high pressure gas transmission system in Britain
- Our gas distribution business delivers gas to 10.9 million homes and businesses
- We also own a number of related businesses including LNG importation, land remediation and metering
- National Grid manages the National Gas Emergency Service free phone line on behalf of the industry - 0800 111 999 (all calls are recorded and may be monitored).
- Our portfolio of other businesses is mainly concerned with infrastructure provision and related services where we can exploit our core skills and assets to create value. These businesses operate in areas such as Metering, Grain LNG Import, Interconnectors and Property. National Grid Carbon Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of National Grid. It undertakes Carbon Capture Storage related activities on behalf of National Grid.
Find out more about the energy challenge and how National Grid is helping find solutions to some of the challenges we face at www.nationalgridconnecting.com
National Grid undertakes no obligation to update any of the information contained in this release, which speaks only as at the date of this release, unless required by law or regulation.