Oyston Street, gas holder

A feature of the South Shields’ skyline since 1886. Built by G & W Walker Ltd., the holder’s design included 16 vertical cast iron columns and two huge tanks that lifted telescopically as they filled with gas, to a total height of 90ft. The South Shields gasholder was a vital part of the local gas supply system, making sure there was enough gas to go round even in the coldest winters. It could store almost 1.5 million cubic feet of gas – enough to supply 1,800 homes for a full day, or 42,000 homes for an hour. The structure received a makeover in 2008/09 when engineers gave it a £250,000, 5,000 litre paint job to make it less incongruous in its environment.
The gasholder was subject to historic building in recording in 2023 during its demolition (event 5416 report 2023/19).