Bankside Power Station

B a n k s i d e
This was Bankside, disused Sixties Power Station, destined to become Tate Gallery of Modern Art.


Photo: Power into Art -November 1996 and work was still in the early stages with much of the interior still to be stripped out, and hardly any visible signs of work in progress.

The History of Bankside Power Station
[Work in progress: Readers are advised to check these facts while gaps in research are being verified.]

The original Bankside power station dates from the late 19th century and was coal-fired.

During the life of the plant, electricity was generated by the City of London Electric Light Company (CLELC), later part of the London Electric Supply Corporation, and in more recent times the London Electricity Board (LEB).

The Electricity Act of 1947 nationalised the industry and created just 12 area boards from the existing proliferation of power supply and distribution companies. Thus the London Electricity Board (LEB) took over responsibility for Bankside and a new oil-fired plant was commissioned.

The (new) Bankside Power Station was designed and constructed in two phases between 1947 and 1963 to a design by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott.

Its main features were:

The Boiler House and chimney facing the Thames.
The Turbine Hall
The Switch House

The western section and the chimney (Bankside A) was brought into service (BIS) in 1952 and the eastern section (Bankside B) went on-line in 1963.

Looking Back

Ted Prangnell, who worked for the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB) HQ, shares some of his memories of Bankside, London.
Learn more...

The End of Generation

In the 1970s, following the construction of the super-grids (275kV-400kV), the Area Boards e.g. London Electricity Board, then took over what remained of the 132kV distribution grid. This meant that locally, power could be transmitted to wherever the demand was needed, and hence lead to the ultimate demise of many smaller stations. Equally, the existence of the super-grids allowed electricity to be generated at much larger plants and again transferred, relatively easily throughout the UK. No doubt the 1973 and 1979 oil crisis also played a part in the decision to close Bankside.

Bankside's breakers tripped permanently in 1981 and the station fell into disuse, apart from a working Switch House which still distributed electricity to the immediate area.

NEXT