Visited with Sim2Lew
Well, the plan for the day was to do another site on the Wirral but with the threat of rain hanging over us, that didn't come to fruition. Ah well, another day. After this we headed down to Eastham, where after a quick diversion we headed down to the site.
_______________history_______________
Part of the Government Pipelines and Storage System (GPSS). The GPSS is a United Kingdom pipeline system run by the Oil and Pipelines Agency for the MOD. The network consists of some 2,500 kilometres of pipeline and 46 other facilities. The network is interconnected with several private networks. The network was built before World War II and was used to supply fuel for Operation Pluto.
The locations of these pipelines are marked with identification posts with bright yellow roofs with a thick black line. Even so, in March 2000 at Furness Vale near Whaley Bridge, High Peak, Derbyshire one of the lines was cut by workmen.
Private-sector usage is encouraged, but limited; the Oil and Pipelines Agency's task is to provide "maximum development of private sector usage of the GPSS, provided this does not impinge upon its primary purpose of supplying the required fuel for defence purposes and does not require capital investment from public funds."
There isn't a whole lot of referrences to this site on the net, aside from on Alan Turnbull's
Secret Bases website. This site has been in Eastham for as long as I've been alive, and appears on Ordinence survey maps for the first time from 1976. The site has signs for
Serco Gulf Engineering and Shell Refineries. If still owned by the latter it now likely forms part of the
Essar pipeline.
From what I understand from planning applications submitted by
the MOD to Wirral Borough Council in 2007, the capacity of the site is 11000 cubic meters.
As you can see from the intro the site is guarded my vicious guard sheep and a camera shy guard goat. Be wary,
you have been warned!
_______________pictures_______________
[1]
GWB boiler or furnace
[2]
Boiler or furnace control unit
[3]
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The rest of the pics, as usual, are on
my blog.
Thanks for looking
