Chimney on Kensington Gore
 

Chris Woodhead wrote:
I appreciate I may not be in the right area of expertise to ask this
question, but can anybody shed any light on the history / origins
of the free-standing chimney on Kensington Gore. It's intrigued me
for a while now. I've posed this question on several messageboards
/ newsgroups but have as yet failed to receive a response.

I'd be grateful for any information.

If you mean the chimney next to and south-east of the Royal Albert Hall,
I think it's from the hall's boiler room. A Google search produced a
reference to a chimney and a photo at
http://www.unseenlondon.dns2go.com/r...rt/roofext.htm , but the
site seems to be down at present.

--
Richard J.
(to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address)

Chimney on Kensington Gore
 

Richard J. wrote:
Chris Woodhead wrote:
I appreciate I may not be in the right area of expertise to ask
this question, but can anybody shed any light on the history /
origins
of the free-standing chimney on Kensington Gore. It's intrigued me
for a while now. I've posed this question on several messageboards
/ newsgroups but have as yet failed to receive a response.

I'd be grateful for any information.

If you mean the chimney next to and south-east

CORRECTION: I meant south-west

of the Royal Albert Hall, I think it's from the hall's boiler room.
A Google search produced a reference to a chimney and a photo at
http://www.unseenlondon.dns2go.com/r...rt/roofext.htm , but the
site seems to be down at present.

--
Richard J.
(to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address)

Chimney on Kensington Gore
 

On Wed, 4 Aug 2004, John Rowland wrote:

"Ian Jelf" wrote in message
...

I've been trying [1] to find out about the
Albert Hall's heating for years [2].

[1] Though not very hard!

[2] On reflection, this is *very* sad, isn't it?!

No, it's just wanting to understand how things work! Once you notice
that something doesn't seem to have all the necessary parts to enable
its functions, it is going to mildly bug you until you figure it out.

Incidentally, this is known as 'science'.

tom

ps John, that's the third quote from you i've got in my sig file now ...

--
Science of a sufficiently advanced form is indistinguishable from magic

Chimney on Kensington Gore
 

In article ,
Tom Anderson writes
ps John, that's the third quote from you i've got in my sig file now ...

--
Science of a sufficiently advanced form is indistinguishable from magic

The Arthur C. Clarke statement is "A sufficiently advanced *technology*
is indistinguishable from magic". The two aren't the same thing.

--
Clive D.W. Feather | Home:
Tel: +44 20 8495 6138 (work) | Web: http://www.davros.org
Fax: +44 870 051 9937 | Work:
Please reply to the Reply-To address, which is:

Chimney on Kensington Gore
 

On Tue, 03 Aug 2004 08:58:13 GMT, "Richard J."
wrote:

Chris Woodhead wrote:
I appreciate I may not be in the right area of expertise to ask this
question, but can anybody shed any light on the history / origins
of the free-standing chimney on Kensington Gore. It's intrigued me
for a while now. I've posed this question on several messageboards
/ newsgroups but have as yet failed to receive a response.

I'd be grateful for any information.

If you mean the chimney next to and south-east of the Royal Albert Hall,
I think it's from the hall's boiler room. A Google search produced a
reference to a chimney and a photo at
http://www.unseenlondon.dns2go.com/r...rt/roofext.htm , but the
site seems to be down at present.

It is indeed.

The site is mine and is hosted on my own server which has had a
motherboard failure.

Need to find time/energy to do a rebuild

Keith J Chesworth
www.unseenlondon.co.uk
www.blackpooltram.co.uk
www.happysnapper.com
www.boilerbill.com - main site
www.amerseyferry.co.uk

Chimney on Kensington Gore
 

On Wed, 4 Aug 2004 19:58:27 +0100, "Chris"
wrote:

South west of the Albert Hall is Prince Consort road. Ken Gore is to the
north.

There is an electrical substation underneath the albert hall, also there are
maintainance tunnels all over the area


snip

Actually there are few maintainance tunnels there now.

The whole of the area to the south of the hall and under the hall has
been dug out and now there are some 2 levels of dressing rooms,
loading bays, service/plant rooms and the like there. the hall is
supported on piles which have been retro-fitted.

Quite an achevement, as can be seen on the site when I rebuild the
server


Keith J Chesworth
www.unseenlondon.co.uk
www.blackpooltram.co.uk
www.happysnapper.com
www.boilerbill.com - main site
www.amerseyferry.co.uk

Chimney on Kensington Gore
 

On Tue, 3 Aug 2004 19:08:13 +0100, Ian Jelf
wrote:

In message , Richard J.
writes
Chris Woodhead wrote:
I appreciate I may not be in the right area of expertise to ask this
question, but can anybody shed any light on the history / origins
of the free-standing chimney on Kensington Gore. It's intrigued me
for a while now. I've posed this question on several messageboards
/ newsgroups but have as yet failed to receive a response.

I'd be grateful for any information.

If you mean the chimney next to and south-east of the Royal Albert Hall,
I think it's from the hall's boiler room. A Google search produced a
reference to a chimney and a photo at
http://www.unseenlondon.dns2go.com/r...rt/roofext.htm , but the
site seems to be down at present.

Now if that's the case I for one would be very interested as I've been
trying [1] to find out about the Albert Hall's heating for years [2].

When I was at school, I was taught that the Hall was heated by the
surplus heat from a nearby cold storage facility but I've never been
able to confirm/disprove this.


[1] Though not very hard!

[2] On reflection, this is *very* sad, isn't it?!

Four Balwin packaged steam boilers supply the heating. They were
renewed, say 5years ago

There was some thought to buying in the heating from the University a
few years ago when the refurbishment was being planned but it did not
come to anything

Keith J Chesworth
www.unseenlondon.co.uk
www.blackpooltram.co.uk
www.happysnapper.com
www.boilerbill.com - main site
www.amerseyferry.co.uk

Chimney on Kensington Gore
 

In message , Keith J
Chesworth writes
On Tue, 3 Aug 2004 19:08:13 +0100, Ian Jelf
wrote:

In message , Richard J.
writes
Chris Woodhead wrote:
I appreciate I may not be in the right area of expertise to ask this
question, but can anybody shed any light on the history / origins
of the free-standing chimney on Kensington Gore. It's intrigued me
for a while now. I've posed this question on several messageboards
/ newsgroups but have as yet failed to receive a response.

I'd be grateful for any information.

If you mean the chimney next to and south-east of the Royal Albert Hall,
I think it's from the hall's boiler room. A Google search produced a
reference to a chimney and a photo at
http://www.unseenlondon.dns2go.com/r...rt/roofext.htm , but the
site seems to be down at present.

Now if that's the case I for one would be very interested as I've been
trying [1] to find out about the Albert Hall's heating for years [2].

When I was at school, I was taught that the Hall was heated by the
surplus heat from a nearby cold storage facility but I've never been
able to confirm/disprove this.


[1] Though not very hard!

[2] On reflection, this is *very* sad, isn't it?!

Four Balwin packaged steam boilers supply the heating. They were
renewed, say 5years ago

Thank you! Another bit of London's jigsaw added.......
--
Ian Jelf, MITG, Birmingham, UK
Registered "Blue Badge" Tourist Guide for
London & the Heart of England
http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk

Chimney on Kensington Gore
 

On Thu, 23 Sep 2004 18:11:50 +0100, Keith J Chesworth
wrote:

On Tue, 3 Aug 2004 19:08:13 +0100, Ian Jelf
wrote:

In message , Richard J.
writes
Chris Woodhead wrote:
I appreciate I may not be in the right area of expertise to ask this
question, but can anybody shed any light on the history / origins
of the free-standing chimney on Kensington Gore. It's intrigued me
for a while now. I've posed this question on several messageboards
/ newsgroups but have as yet failed to receive a response.

I'd be grateful for any information.

If you mean the chimney next to and south-east of the Royal Albert Hall,
I think it's from the hall's boiler room. A Google search produced a
reference to a chimney and a photo at
http://www.unseenlondon.dns2go.com/r...rt/roofext.htm , but the
site seems to be down at present.

Now if that's the case I for one would be very interested as I've been
trying [1] to find out about the Albert Hall's heating for years [2].

When I was at school, I was taught that the Hall was heated by the
surplus heat from a nearby cold storage facility but I've never been
able to confirm/disprove this.


[1] Though not very hard!

[2] On reflection, this is *very* sad, isn't it?!

Four Balwin packaged steam boilers supply the heating. They were
renewed, say 5years ago

There was some thought to buying in the heating from the University a
few years ago when the refurbishment was being planned but it did not
come to anything

Keith J Chesworth
www.unseenlondon.co.uk
www.blackpooltram.co.uk
www.happysnapper.com
www.boilerbill.com - main site
www.amerseyferry.co.uk

I believe it now has a preservation order on it. It no longer is in
use. In much earlier times the Hall's organ was steam powered, to pump
the bellows and the waste was vented through this chimney.
Reg

Chimney on Kensington Gore
 

snip


I believe it now has a preservation order on it. It no longer is in
use. In much earlier times the Hall's organ was steam powered, to pump
the bellows and the waste was vented through this chimney.
Reg

That's strange.

On Monday I was doing the statutory thorough examinations on boilers
1, 2 and 4. ie., the cold stripped down examinations.

Friday I was doing the same for boiler 3 and the steaming tests to
complete the examinations of 1, 2 and 4.

Anyone in the area yesterday morning may have seen the steam blowing
up there from the safety valve vents.

I'll pass on the Organ, that is now totally refurbished and I doubt if
there is much by records of the original one left. Prior to
refurbishment is was driven by an electric compressor.

I can say that the hall was originally supplied by well water using a
steam pumping engine. The lower part of which was still in place along
with the well until refurbishment.

The previous boilers in the place where Paxman and from the sounds of
what I have been told they were quite vintage when scrapped.

Heating is by means of stteam heated Plenium heaters in the air con
ducting and low temperature hot water to radiators, supplied via steam
heated calorifiers. Hot water is supplied by means of 'load leveller'
calorifiers. One of which I 'did' on Monday.

Why it looks out of use is because the boilers are gas fired and thus
the exhust is not visible unless the day is very cold.

Keith J Chesworth AKA boilerbill, 25years boiler surveying
www.unseenlondon.co.uk
www.blackpooltram.co.uk
www.happysnapper.com
www.boilerbill.com - main site
www.amerseyferry.co.uk

Chimney on Kensington Gore
 

On Sat, 25 Sep 2004 09:57:28 +0100, Keith J Chesworth
wrote:

snip


I believe it now has a preservation order on it. It no longer is in
use. In much earlier times the Hall's organ was steam powered, to pump
the bellows and the waste was vented through this chimney.
Reg

That's strange.

On Monday I was doing the statutory thorough examinations on boilers
1, 2 and 4. ie., the cold stripped down examinations.

Friday I was doing the same for boiler 3 and the steaming tests to
complete the examinations of 1, 2 and 4.

Anyone in the area yesterday morning may have seen the steam blowing
up there from the safety valve vents.

I'll pass on the Organ, that is now totally refurbished and I doubt if
there is much by records of the original one left. Prior to
refurbishment is was driven by an electric compressor.

I can say that the hall was originally supplied by well water using a
steam pumping engine. The lower part of which was still in place along
with the well until refurbishment.

The previous boilers in the place where Paxman and from the sounds of
what I have been told they were quite vintage when scrapped.

Heating is by means of stteam heated Plenium heaters in the air con
ducting and low temperature hot water to radiators, supplied via steam
heated calorifiers. Hot water is supplied by means of 'load leveller'
calorifiers. One of which I 'did' on Monday.

Why it looks out of use is because the boilers are gas fired and thus
the exhust is not visible unless the day is very cold.

Keith J Chesworth AKA boilerbill, 25years boiler surveying
www.unseenlondon.co.uk
www.blackpooltram.co.uk
www.happysnapper.com
www.boilerbill.com - main site
www.amerseyferry.co.uk

I stand corrected on its not being in use but I was told by the chap
who looked after the organ, prior to refurbishment, that the reason he
was known as the 'Organ Engineer' was that was in fact what the early
organ caretakers were.
Reg

Chimney on Kensington Gore
 

In message , Keith J
Chesworth writes

I'll pass on the Organ, that is now totally refurbished and I doubt if
there is much by records of the original one left.

Because of the size and fame of the instrument there are in fact quite
detailed records of the original organ. The company that carried out the
recent restoration has a brief history on their website at:

http://www.mander-organs.com/html/body_news.html

Prior to refurbishment is was driven by an electric compressor.

According to the above site, the 1871 instrument was indeed steam
powered:

The wind-pressure was raised by steam engines in the blowing
room below the organ, driving six feeders. The high pressure was
provided by two blowing cylinders, 2 feet in diameter, each
containing a piston with a travel of 2 feet that provided the
vacuum on the upward stroke and the 30-inch wind pressure on the
return stroke. The plant worked well, and only one of the three
tenderers for rebuilding the instrument fifty years later
proposed to replace it.

The low-pressure engine is currently dismantled (but complete) and
housed at the Science Museum's storage depot in Wroughton near Swindon.

There is a picture of the high-pressure double-beam engine at:
http://www.allypallyorgan.org.uk/Pictures.html

Whether or not these were driven off a feed from the central boiler
house I don't know.

--
Paul Terry

Chimney on Kensington Gore
 

On Sun, 26 Sep 2004 16:18:09 +0100, Paul Terry
wrote:

In message , Keith J
Chesworth writes

I'll pass on the Organ, that is now totally refurbished and I doubt if
there is much by records of the original one left.

Because of the size and fame of the instrument there are in fact quite
detailed records of the original organ. The company that carried out the
recent restoration has a brief history on their website at:

http://www.mander-organs.com/html/body_news.html

Prior to refurbishment is was driven by an electric compressor.

According to the above site, the 1871 instrument was indeed steam
powered:

The wind-pressure was raised by steam engines in the blowing
room below the organ, driving six feeders. The high pressure was
provided by two blowing cylinders, 2 feet in diameter, each
containing a piston with a travel of 2 feet that provided the
vacuum on the upward stroke and the 30-inch wind pressure on the
return stroke. The plant worked well, and only one of the three
tenderers for rebuilding the instrument fifty years later
proposed to replace it.

The low-pressure engine is currently dismantled (but complete) and
housed at the Science Museum's storage depot in Wroughton near Swindon.

There is a picture of the high-pressure double-beam engine at:
http://www.allypallyorgan.org.uk/Pictures.html

Whether or not these were driven off a feed from the central boiler
house I don't know.

That I didn't know, when I asked on site, no one had any info. Thanks
for that. The site dosen't say when the steam driving of the blowers
was done away with. Must ask some questions as I understood it that
was not being used in 1999. I think I must have first been involved
with the Hall about then. ISTR that the Organ strip out was in its
early stages when I first visited.

Must try and find out a bit more and see if I can visit the remains at
some time.

OK, sad, I love Windy Organ music, have several discs of the Blackpool
Organ etc and do post to vintage-engineering....ho hum

Keith J Chesworth
www.unseenlondon.co.uk
www.blackpooltram.co.uk
www.happysnapper.com
www.boilerbill.com - main site
www.amerseyferry.co.uk