Underfall Yard Substation, Avon Crescent

You can see this once apparently bright and airy building has had every window bricked up.

I understand that something in or around this building still supplies the odd electrical requirements (specifically, 360V "Bristol voltage") for some bits of Underfall Yard, which is our next stop, so more about that when we get there.

While it's not a listed building, is is notable: it's one of the earliest reinforced concrete buildings in the UK, apparently, construction starting in 1905. I assume it was up by 1907, as that's when Undefall Yard installed their electric pumps.

This oddity of history predates the National Grid and was originally fed from Feeder Road power station (well, Avonbank, on Feeder Road, to be precise. We've seen a bit of that history before, as a line marker for the line from Portishead to Feeder Road.) It was connected to Feeder Road by 1906, with a 6,600V line.

I've added a couple of historic views of the building as the next two photos in the wander, but I'll also pop this link to a Loxton drawing of the Avonbank electricity works, 1908 here.

From wander: Docks Heritage Weekend Day Two: Underfall Yard Substation, Hydraulics, and Bristol Electricity
Taken: Sun 10 October 2021 11:53
Rating: ★★★

GPS Coordinates: 51.44679, -2.61841
Location: Cumberland Basin

Underfall Yard Substation, Avon Crescent
You can see this once apparently bright and airy building has had every window bricked up.

I understand that something in or around this building...