A Hucknall History

Public Utility & Services

Coal Gas Lighting

Production of Sutton-in-Ashfield gas predates supply by Local Boards. Proprietors investing £10 shares formed an 1851 company which raised a capital of £2,200. Building their 1852 opened gas works named trustees the Rev. William Goodacre, Vicar, and Mr. George Oscroft, of Westfield House. Directors were Messrs. Wm. Oates, Chas. Plumbe, Secretary, and Henry Crofts, Treasurer.

Recorded a decade later charging gas consumers the price 5s. 10d. per 1,000 cubic feet, with 2s. per annum for a two-light meter reached a profitable capital increase to £3,500.   Plotting where Sutton Gas Works had been situated west side Tenter Lane can compare changes between latter 1959 layout behind shops fronting a renamed Outram Street. A Fox Street entry might have also seen coal deliveries to an older Malthouse, before a newly built Conservative Club sights taller plus newer gas holder behind. They all became very commonly called gasometers, loosely based upon various designed methods to calibrate measurable volumes.

Coal gasification defined any process to convert coal into gas, as evident a few decades before illuminating London's 1807 Pall Mall. Those first English gas lamps creatively made use of old musket gun barrels for piping. Manufacture through carbonization or destructive distillation, involved heating coal in the absence of air. Residual by-product left coke. Fact that could burn higher temperatures than coal soon opening up industrial markets. From 70s demand for smokeless homes, it costlier fired some newer back boiler central heating.

Personal interest just had to share rare photo of an early coal gassed powered motorcycle. Certainly innovative, but obviously impracticable for one good reason before legal need for crash helmets. Expectations for the Indian Bajaj Auto announcing in 2024 the world's first natural gas-powered motorcycle must find an updated choice for some foreign markets.

Selling those Sutton gas works to the Town in 1877 at the price of £20,000, £17,000 being paid for 650 shares, surely places that Local Board authority in cost effective charge. Developments so far are very sketchy, but doubtfully compares with 1835 directory description for the larger town of Mansfield already having well paved gas lit streets. Profitable sale after 23 years can only assume a good number of wealthier Sutton households and business premises had so far afforded this superior internal illumination. Listing grocer Robert Wright as the 1876 gas works secretary does, however, next turn a weaker spotlight into Hucknall-under-Huthwaite.

Huthwaite Gas & Coke Works

First 1873 Hucknall-under-Huthwaite Local Board meeting appointed Watson, Burrows, Betts, Pilsworh and Birkhead to a Gas and Water Committee. Difficult finding any sign of progress for either subject, until finally accepting an 1886 Sutton water supply. But as that lengthy planning produced a highly detailed 1884 map, that coincidentally and uniquely exposed location of village Gas Works.

Little Lane had only been an ancient farm track accessing field allotments off Hopkins Lane. The Hucknall-under-Huthwaite Gas Light and Coke Company Ltd, may claim its first addressing.

Following 1876 listing simply identifying titled business secretary Robert Wright, the November 1879 Derby Mercury gave notice of sales at the home of Mr Kesteven, the Peacock Inn. Last of 8 Lots comprises TEN SHARES of £5 EACH in the Hucknall under Huthwaite Gas Light and Coke Company, Limited. The respective Tenants will show the Lots, and for further particulars apply to the AUCTIONEERS, Saint Mary's-gate, Derby; or to WALTER N. HARRIS, Solicitor, Crich and Alfreton

George Allsop is next listed 1881 Gas Works secretary. An 1885 directory identifies William Hill a gasfitter among roles of glazier and blacksmith. It named William Burton, Gas Works manager.

Updating 1891 secretarial role to Thomas Collison, Birkenhead, can only suggest production kept on supplying lamp light gas to unknown numbers of wealthier clients. Surmising a new church school across road might seek modern convenience, rooming a Local Board cannot truly enlighten any committee involvement.

Map revisions soon after lost any reference. Associated property layout is thereafter joined by a short row of c1890 cottages. All still stand lining one side an unmade Little Lane entrance.

Godfrey Bostock gained 1912 listing as the surveyor & sanitary inspector & gas & water manager to Huthwaite UDC. But likewise to accepting extended Sutton UDC piped water, they'd also chosen using that towns assured supplies of manufactured coal gas.

Sutton Town Gas Suppliers

Posed employees at the Sutton 1904 Outram Gas Works hold common tools often shovelling coal and coke about. Use of the long pole is widely demonstrated to light and extinguish UK street lamps each night and morning without past regular need for a ladder.

Press can reveal Huthwaite Councillors maintained and upgraded their gas connections. before last considering 1934 request from Dr Gaston for another closer surgery gas lamp. However, laying 1932 electrical cables questioned any costly need supplying little used gas to their Chesterfield Road housing scheme. New homes did get all mains utilities, presumably under electric street lamps.

Natural British Gas

Costlier coal gasification to light fewer lamps furthermore sought alternative energy diversification affording greater industrial uses. Cooling natural gas down into liquid form enabled the unconnected UK to begin first mid 60s European ship imports of Liquefied Natural Gas from Algeria. Fact methane content burned much hotter made it a widely viable fuel earlier elsewhere, so discovering deposits lay off British coastlines soon led national decision to replace all 1966 town gas. Major modifications for supply and mains distribution took several years, while progressively ensuring consumers were suitably equipped. Museums have kept some of the many millions of domestic heating appliances that proved unsuitable for conversion. Vast demand to purchase newer replacement cookers presented a very competitive market choice between the then much wider variety of reliably accepted electrical goods.

On an energy supply basis, gas contributed only 5.4% of the UK’s primary energy consumption in 1970. Whether or not this fossil fuel next assisted generation of electric, another referenced source clearly graphs increasing use while reducing reliance on coal.

The phrase Now we're cooking with gas originated from earlier American sales promotions. The British Gas Corporation adopted that catchy winning slogan. Many family homes just kept a metered connection for cheaper cooking. TV chefs promoted long favoured choice, from oven efficiency to instant controlability of ring temperatures.

A later Conservative party reversed all past government ideals for state own companies. Privatising the British Gas Corporation in 1986 next formed the British Gas Plc.

Dissolving the March 1987 National Coal Board witnessed more dramatic repercussions. Ruthless pit closures foresaw ultimate UK response to climate change aimed at eventually closing the entire coal industry. Restricting household choice for smokeless fuels raised gas consumption by becoming most affordable option converting majority of home heating systems. New combi boilers removed wasteful hot water tanks sometime around 1997 demerger of British Gas Plc. Under Centrica Plc international energy concerns comes a complicated myriad of branching, rebranding, regrouping and reselling. Suffice to note a very recent incentive to replace older boilers, might soon realise similarity with oil having next been judged as another harmfully polluting fossil energy.