Pilkington Glass' Doncaster plant lies beside the River Don Navigation canal near where it becomes River Dun Navigation. It produced plate glass until 2008.
There is an outstanding bridge just outside which must have been built to carry water out of the plant and over the canal and river.
Most of the ground floor is like a basement or undercroft, and stairs lead up to one of the main factory floors. This part is presumably where the glass was finished.
The exact function of the many walkways and control decks is to be guessed at, but allowed for some great viewing angles.
The exact function of the many walkways and control decks is to be guessed at, but allowed for some great viewing angles.
Ground floor
Ground floor looking up to gantries which run into one of the main rooms
Connected to this part is what I'll call the main hall, perhaps where the glass was heated and slowly cooled along the very long track through the centre of this great space.
Various offices and rooms are off on one side. Underneath is a space with hoppers, pipes, sand and sandpits, and parallel to it down on the ground floor is a long loading area.
Another big room outside this area is the workshop. Broken desks, machinery and general factory paraphernalia are strewn everywhere. A door leads through and back to the undercroft area.
