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Description and History of Site:-

Built in the late 1890s by York Corporation, originally generating direct current but modernised in 1920 to generate electricity at 3.3 kV 50 cycles three phase. In 1936, the plant consisted of five steam turbines and had a generating capacity of about 20 MW. The coal fired boilers produced superheated steam at a working pressure of 200 psi. The concrete cooling tower was on the other side of the Foss River from the generating station. On the night of 27th October 1949 the plant, and much of the surrounding site, was devastated by an explosion when a riveted joint on one of the boilers failed. The station was closed in 1976, and demolished in the 1980s.

Further Reading and References:-

YAHS - Hatcher Card Index. Research funded by the Yorkshire Arts Association 1972.
Hatcher, J. The industrial architecture of Yorkshire. Phillimore, 1985.
http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/14752150.York_power_station__8_great_old_photos_from_the_age_of_power/#gallery0
http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/14562674.HISTORY__The_day_York_Power_Station_exploded___/

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Key Words :- electricity power generation coal

Address :- Foss Island Road, York, North Yorkshire, YO31 7UP
Grid Ref :- SE 6098 5202
Co-ordinates :- Lat 53.960679 , Long -1.072090
Local Authority :- York City Council
Pre 1974 County :- Yorkshire - North Riding
Site Status :- Site demolished or no longer extant
Site Condition :- Site redeveloped to industrial / commercial use
Site Dates :- 1900 - 1976
Contributor :- Nick Nelson - 12 August 2017

Copyright :- cc-by-nc-sa 4.0 © Nick Nelson