Old Montrose, Gas Works

NO65NE 69.05 67198 57176

This gasworks is not depicted on the Ordnance Survey, 1st edition 25-inch map (Angus, 1864) but a 'gasometer' (or, more correctly, gasholder) is named and depicted on the 2nd edition Ordnance Survey 25-inch map (Angus, 1903) and is indicative of the presence of a small private gasworks serving the estate. This gasholder had been removed by the 3rd edition map (Angus, 1924).

The building in which the process of gas making probably took place is of rubble construction and predates the gasworking visible on the map of 1903. It has been rebuilt at various times (three rooflines were noted) using brick infilling. The roofed buildings depicted on these maps correspond to the modern footprint. It would appear that the retorts were in the building at NO67198 57183 as the N gable has brick inserts with straight jointing suggesting that they were inserted in such as way to allow rebuilding. The brick surround housing the retort(s) or retort bench allowed circulation of producer gas produced by burning coal in the furnace to heat the coal-filled retorts. These benches were designed to be rebuilt, as retorts (which are long tubes sealed at one end) had a relatively short life span if in contant use. The gasworks would have required a retort bench, retort or retorts, ascension pipes carrying the gas to the condenser, condenser, washer, scrubber and piping to carry the processed gas to the gas holder and to distibute it. The plant was presumably housed in the three roofed structures (two of which, along with the gasholder have been demolished)depicted on the Ordnance Survey map published in 1903.

Information from RCAHMS (MMD), 20 November 2009.