It was a long time coming and took me far too long to get there.
I had heard a lot about the old power station in Huncoat, meant to visit for a long time, but never had enough time to get up there and explore. I also didn't know what or who to expect up there and so didn't want to go on my own.
Once I did finally get there I didn't want to leave. The place is amazing. Yes there has been some vandalism, but the building itself is sound. There is some debris on the floor so you have to be careful when walking around, but there is nothing too challenging :) I guess it all adds to the character of the place. If you are a lover of old buildings you will love the place.
As you walk around the outside of the building to get to the entrance, you are greeted by a taster of what is to come, graffiti and lots of it. Walking through the building is better than looking through any Graffiti book. Artists come from all over the country to practice their skills and there is some kind of respect thing going on where artists seem to have their own space and others don't use it.
Some of the original signs have been taken down and some of the woodwork has been lost due to a fire in the building some time ago. What is left is still very visually inspiring though.
On the second floor, nature has begun to take over, it is surreal but beautiful, it's an interior garden. As you pass on through to the next 'room' be patient, if you are lucky you will catch a glimpse of the nesting blue tits that have made a home in the stud wall. A truly humbling sight which reminded me what life is really all about. Sometimes those unexpected things take you by surprise and force you to reflect on the present and your own future.
About an hour or so later, after drinking in all the imagery, we went up to the third floor. Here you can gain access to the roof through the paneless windows. If you go on a nice day, take a picnic, sit on the roof, the views are stunning.
Visiting this place inspired me beyond what I ever thought it could. I wanted it!
Knowing that old buildings like this can sometimes be bought for next to nothing I began looking into ownership etc. I had dreams of turning it into a creative hub for designers.
Keeping the first floor empty for Graffiti artists and photographers to come and go as they please. Lining the second floor walls with canvases for artists/photographers to use if they wanted to sell their work, having an exhibition and an auction every quarter, putting in a studio where the creative hub could be created and a photography studio. Finally turning the top floor into living quarters in order to avoid travelling costs and a higher carbon footprint from travelling to work.
The immense amount of land out the back could be used to help the community become more self sufficient, with allotments and gardens kept by volunteers which would help to raise the morale of a community who has lost employment recently, the rest of the land would be left for the photographers to use as they do now.
Unfortunately after being empty and disused for years , I have found that the council have secured it for development of a new recycling plant. The plans have been gone through and are being brought forward. This saddened me after all I had seen and found out about the place. However even if it isn't possible to own this building, it has inspired me to work harder at university and gain the best qualification I can. I hope to save up and use equity in my home in order to start a similar project.
I will not give up !
I hope you enjoy the following images, they are just a small sample of what can be found there.
