Gasholder No 2, Fulham Gasworks

Gasholder No 2, built in 1829-1830 to the design of John Kirkham of the Imperial Gas Light Company, stands as a remarkable example of early industrial engineering. The construction was undertaken by Mr Ward, junior, and a Mr Wright. It comprises 12 free-standing cast-iron guide standards, or tripods, supporting a water-sealed bell (gas vessel) that rises and falls over an in-ground tank, classified as a Type 20 structure according to Tucker’s Typology. With a total capacity of 226,000 cubic feet, it was considered the largest in the world at the time of its construction.

Each tripod measures 30 feet in height, with a tee-shaped plan and a triangular cross-section. Decorative roundels, progressively decreasing in size, are set within the open-webbed cast-iron frames. One tripod features a cast-iron plate displaying the number ‘2’ in raised lettering, and another has a fixed access ladder with a safety cage leading to the top, facilitating access when the gasholder was full. The iron bell has a gently domed crown supported by a framework of wrought-iron, covered in sheets. This framework is characterized by lenticular trusses of wrought-iron bars arranged radially around a central, tubular cast-iron king post. The upper radial bars supporting the sheeting are flat, while the lower members are round, with vertical and diagonal bars featuring forged ends. These bars are laterally stabilized by forged wrought-iron bars in a herringbone pattern and light purlins made of rolled angle iron, all joined by hand-made, square-headed bolts and nuts. Fitters' marks were still visible when inspected in 1949. The sides of the bell, resting on the tank bottom, are assumed to be framed with similar materials. The king post is supported in its resting position by a masonry pillar situated on the cone of earth at the tank's centre. The bell’s crown is clad in double-riveted 13-gauge sheets, and the sides with single-riveted 12-gauge sheets. Re-sheeting occurred in 1882, with further replacements in 1949. A metal handrail runs alongside the exterior of the bell. Twelve guide carriages, in the form of double-flanged rollers, are attached to the upper part of the bell, allowing it to rise and fall on flat guide rails fixed to the interior edge of the tripods. The lower part of the bell features 24 rings that run on guide rods or slippers within the tank. The brick tank itself measures 100 feet in diameter and 29 feet 6 inches deep, encircled by a low brick wall topped with a metal handrail.