Fat Pipe Padiham

joey13 · Post by **joey13** » Mon Jul 17, 2017 9:03 am

If you are from Padiham you will undoubtedly know about the Fat Pipe down by the Calder opp Padiham Power Station, someone on the book of faces was saying this was installed during World War 2 and ran from Southport all the way up to top of Cambridge Road to the chemical plant there , apparently the salt water was used in the process of manufacturing munitions, im trying to find out how true this is , anyone else know about this ?
Please no thickneck jokes

Siddo · Post by **Siddo** » Mon Jul 17, 2017 9:08 am

I am sure it's the same one that crosses the canal opposite the crematorium and used to run parallel to the railway behind the old Tweedy site in Gannow. I have always wondered what it was for. Where it had sheared it used to leave a green residue.

Corky · Post by **Corky** » Mon Jul 17, 2017 9:10 am

Well, that really does bring back memories of my childhood in Padiham. And of course the chemical plant just as you arrived into Hapton on your left was, locally,called the Cimic. I remember a tale of a School Teacher being baffled when a pupil asked her how you spell Cimic!!!

My Grandfather worked their through WW2 and he never mentioned manufacturing munitions. I'll ask me mum later today see what she knows.

joey13 · Post by **joey13** » Mon Jul 17, 2017 9:28 am

Cheers Corky

Oliasclaret · Post by **Oliasclaret** » Mon Jul 17, 2017 9:59 am

According to what my grandfather told me. The pipe did indeed supply seawater from Southport which was used for the extraction of magnesium for used in the rebuilding of our munition stocks after WW1 mostly in fuses.
The chemical works was what became Hepworth Plastics and consisted of 4 factories 2 above ground and 2 below ground so that manufacturing could be split between them in the case of breakdown or hostilities taking place.
He also told me that the venture was never really successful as we could import magnesium cheaper from North America than we could produce it with the processes used on the site. I was told that it was known as M.E.L but I'm not sure what that stood for.
I worked on the site for a number of years and live very close to the site now. Many of the buildings were VERY strongly built and I'm sure would have survived and blast damage. It took the redevelopers long enough to knock then down.
I'm sure there's a clue to what I have said here as the access to the redevelopment of the site is called Magnesium Way

gawthorpe_view · Post by **gawthorpe_view** » Mon Jul 17, 2017 10:16 am

Oliasclaret wrote:According to what my grandfather told me. The pipe did indeed supply seawater from Southport which was used for the extraction of magnesium for used in the rebuilding of our munition stocks after WW1 mostly in fuses.
The chemical works was what became Hepworth Plastics and consisted of 4 factories 2 above ground and 2 below ground so that manufacturing could be split between them in the case of breakdown or hostilities taking place.
He also told me that the venture was never really successful as we could import magnesium cheaper from North America than we could produce it with the processes used on the site. I was told that it was known as M.E.L but I'm not sure what that stood for.
I worked on the site for a number of years and live very close to the site now. Many of the buildings were VERY strongly built and I'm sure would have survived and blast damage. It took the redevelopers long enough to knock then down.
I'm sure there's a clue to what I have said here as the access to the redevelopment of the site is called Magnesium Way

1942 Magnesium Elektron Limited built by the government to produce metal for aircraft industry. (M.E.L)

from link; http://www.haptonheritage.co.uk/hapton- ... cal-dates/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

joey13 · Post by **joey13** » Mon Jul 17, 2017 11:19 am

Oliasclaret wrote:According to what my grandfather told me. The pipe did indeed supply seawater from Southport which was used for the extraction of magnesium for used in the rebuilding of our munition stocks after WW1 mostly in fuses.
The chemical works was what became Hepworth Plastics and consisted of 4 factories 2 above ground and 2 below ground so that manufacturing could be split between them in the case of breakdown or hostilities taking place.
He also told me that the venture was never really successful as we could import magnesium cheaper from North America than we could produce it with the processes used on the site. I was told that it was known as M.E.L but I'm not sure what that stood for.
I worked on the site for a number of years and live very close to the site now. Many of the buildings were VERY strongly built and I'm sure would have survived and blast damage. It took the redevelopers long enough to knock then down.
I'm sure there's a clue to what I have said here as the access to the redevelopment of the site is called Magnesium Way

That's very interesting, someone said that the pipe was seen being fitted at the top of Warwick Drive but I didn't think those houses were built until after the war ?
I lived on Warwick as a young boy .

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