As the UK closes its last coal-fired power station, conservation group Twentieth Century Society is running a campaign to preserve a set of cooling towers.
Hyperboloid thermal towers, more commonly known as cooling towers, were once a common site across the UK, but after largely becoming obsolete they are rapidly being demolished.
With the UK's last coal-fired power station ? Ratcliffe-on-Soar ? ceasing operations earlier this week, the Twentieth Century Society (C20 Society) has launched a campaign to ensure that some of the landmark structures are preserved.
Top: Cooling towers at Ferrybridge C Power Station. Photo by Luke O'Donovan. Above: West Burton Power Station is set to be demolished. Photo by K7 Photography
"The closure this week of the last coal-fired power station in Britain is an historic moment ? a punctuation mark of sorts on the Industrial Revolution that began here more than 260 years ago," Twentieth Century Society campaigns director Oli Marshall told Dezeen. "The transition to greener, cleaner forms of energy is a profoundly positive step for the country and one we wholeheartedly welcome. But surely a handful of these former cathedrals of industry should be preserved for future generations" There's room for both new energy infrastructure and reminders of the old to coexist," he continued.
"That's why we've launched C20 Society's new campaign, with the aim to preserve just one set of cooling towers as part of our national herit...