Envision a giant wrought-iron cage. That’s No.1 Gasholder. It stands near The Oval cricket stadium. This isn’t just any old gas holder. It is a Grade II listed building.
Let’s step back in time to 1845. The Phoenix Gas Light and Coke Company bought this land. They bought it from the Southwark & Vauxhall Waterworks Company. The waterworks company had built two circular reservoirs here in 1807. The Phoenix Gas Company cleverly adapted these for gasholder tanks.
Construction of No.1 Gasholder began in 1853. The first iron gasholder arrived in 1847. It supplied gas to a gasworks near Vauxhall Bridge. But it was replaced in 1877-79. Sir Corbet Woodall designed the replacement. It could hold 3 million cubic feet. This made it the world’s largest gasholder at the time.
Frank Livesey enlarged it again in 1891-92. He worked for the South Metropolitan Gas Company. He increased the height by 50%. He added two more lifts. One was a “flying lift”. This doubled the capacity to 6 million cubic feet.
No.1 Gasholder is an early example of wrought iron in a frame. Its cylindrical frame stands about 135 feet high. It has 24 lattice standards. These rise in three tiers. Three rows of horizontal lattice girders connect them. The “bell” rose in four tiers. When full it topped 180 feet.
Gasholder No.2 was built in 1854–55. It was converted to a spiral-guided holder in 1950. Gasholder No.3 was built in 1869. Sadly it was demolished around 1975.
Gasholders No. 4 & 5 were built in 1874 and 1876. Sir Corbet Woodall designed them. They feature an elegant neo-classical style frame. They also have Tuscan columns.
The No.1 Gasholder looms over the Vauxhall End of The Oval. For years it has been a part of the cricket ground’s background. The gasholder is only ten years younger than the cricket ground.
Imagine the scene during cricket matches. Huge advertising banners hang from the gas holders. Commentators often mention them on Test Match Special. One cricket commentator once mused: “As the bowler runs in, it’s so quiet you can hear the creak of the gasometer”.
There were plans to dismantle all of the UK’s gasholders. This included the Oval Gas Holders. But thankfully No.1 Gasholder was granted Grade II listed status in March 2016. This protects it from demolition.
No.1 Gasholder stands as a testament to Victorian engineering. It reminds us of a time when gasworks brought light and warmth to homes. It is a landmark, a piece of industrial history. It is an integral part of The Oval’s identity.