THREE redundant gasholders which were once a notable feature of the Bolton skyline have now been pulled down.

National Grid staff have now fully dismantled the three gasholders which were based on land at Walker Street, off Spa Road.

Work began in January to remove the structures, which have not been used for several years, as part of a national programme to remove gasholders from sites across the country.

The idea is to free the Walker Street land up so that it can now be regenerated.

National Grid first had to remove water from the towering structures before dismantling them piece by piece.

The area was home to gasworks as far back as 1867, although works at the nearby Gas Road were producing the majority of Bolton’s gas decades earlier.

The gasholders removed at Spa Road were built much more recently, but improvements in technology now allow gas to be stored safely in underground pipes.

To reflect the rich history of the site and surrounding area in gas supply, National Grid donated three large maker’s plates from the gasholders to Bolton Museum.

The cast iron plates, weighing around 50 kilograms each, will form part of an exhibition about the town’s industrial heritage.

Samantha Rendell, land Regeneration manager at National Grid, said: “Taking down disused gasholders like these allows us to free-up brownfield land for future regeneration, and we are sure this site will be put to good use.

“Such work can be a complex engineering challenge, but our team worked hard to dismantle the structures swiftly and safely. Our aim was to be a good neighbour throughout.

“We’ve been delighted to get involved with the community by making donations to Bolton’s museum and playing host to local firefighters, who practised their rope skills on the gasholders.

“We would like to thank all those living and working in the area for being patient and understanding during our work.”

Now the gasholders have been removed, the site will be brought forward for regeneration, though there are currently no specific plans for its use.

National Grid’s Community Relations Team are available to answer any questions about the ongoing work and can be reached on Freephone 0808 168 7590 or by emailing nationalgrid@boltongasholders.com.