I know it's an overused phrase, but this place really was EPIC. It had everything you want from an explore, sneaking around to get in, dodging CCTV security guards and ridiculous fences. Industrial porn on an epic scale, retro control rooms, working automatic doors it really was immense!
Kingsnorth Power Station has stood on the hoo paninsula in Kent for over 40 years steadily generating power for the national grid. It was capable of operating on oil or coal, in reality it spent a majority of its life being coal fired with oil being used only as a secondary fuel. Its generating capacity was a little under 2000 megawatts and it had 4 generator sets in total.
A replacement power station was considered for the site by owners EON, but plans were abandoned after the proposal attracted substantial public protest. Kingsnorth Power Station ceased generating in December 2012 after consuming all it's allowed hours under the EU directive on large Combustion Plant. It officially closed in March 2013 and decommissioning started shortly afterwards.
Wind forwards to December this year and a couple of bored explorers by the names of Fortknox and Maniac were pondering over what to do over the christmas break. I utter the phrase "I wouldn't mind taking a proper look at Kingsnorth" and the plan was born.
Despite what they'd have you believe, these places are not inpentrable fortresses, there's always a chink in the armour, it's just finding it that's the key and find it we did. It took us a few hours cautiously making our approach slowly getting closer and closer, overcoming fences, CCTV cameras and other obsticles in our path, but we soon found ourselves standing very close to the building with nothing between us and our entry point. If I'm brutally honest I didn't expect to get this far without having to leg it away from angry security guards, getting arrested or both. But apart from a radio playing loudly in one of the maintenance sheds the place appeared deserted.
I visited this on two occasions, first off with Mr Fortknox0 when we first cracked it at the end of last year - hats off to you for giving me a push to get this done. And then more recently again with Fortknox0 and this time accompanied by Frosty and Gadget. Both times absolutely fantastic trips I will never forget!
This is what it looks like from a distance
And close up
So in we went, not knowing at this stage how far the decommissioning had progressed and we were pleasantly surprised.
Apologies for some of these photos, there are a lot of handheld shots with a few better ones when time allowed.
Firstly this place is vast
And has a lot of pipes
But of course it gets better
And better. . . . .
And better . . . .
Parts lined up ready to go.
Continued . . . .
Kingsnorth Power Station has stood on the hoo paninsula in Kent for over 40 years steadily generating power for the national grid. It was capable of operating on oil or coal, in reality it spent a majority of its life being coal fired with oil being used only as a secondary fuel. Its generating capacity was a little under 2000 megawatts and it had 4 generator sets in total.
A replacement power station was considered for the site by owners EON, but plans were abandoned after the proposal attracted substantial public protest. Kingsnorth Power Station ceased generating in December 2012 after consuming all it's allowed hours under the EU directive on large Combustion Plant. It officially closed in March 2013 and decommissioning started shortly afterwards.
Wind forwards to December this year and a couple of bored explorers by the names of Fortknox and Maniac were pondering over what to do over the christmas break. I utter the phrase "I wouldn't mind taking a proper look at Kingsnorth" and the plan was born.
Despite what they'd have you believe, these places are not inpentrable fortresses, there's always a chink in the armour, it's just finding it that's the key and find it we did. It took us a few hours cautiously making our approach slowly getting closer and closer, overcoming fences, CCTV cameras and other obsticles in our path, but we soon found ourselves standing very close to the building with nothing between us and our entry point. If I'm brutally honest I didn't expect to get this far without having to leg it away from angry security guards, getting arrested or both. But apart from a radio playing loudly in one of the maintenance sheds the place appeared deserted.
I visited this on two occasions, first off with Mr Fortknox0 when we first cracked it at the end of last year - hats off to you for giving me a push to get this done. And then more recently again with Fortknox0 and this time accompanied by Frosty and Gadget. Both times absolutely fantastic trips I will never forget!
This is what it looks like from a distance
And close up
So in we went, not knowing at this stage how far the decommissioning had progressed and we were pleasantly surprised.
Apologies for some of these photos, there are a lot of handheld shots with a few better ones when time allowed.
Firstly this place is vast
And has a lot of pipes
But of course it gets better
And better. . . . .
And better . . . .
Parts lined up ready to go.
Continued . . . .
