Photo story - incredible.

I've seen that or something very similar a long time ago. CEGB had an old quarry somewhere where they erected pylons and tested them to distruction. It was actually one of only very few such test facilities in the world, and they earned a good income testing other country's pylons for them too.

or even _destruction_...

I had an idea that it was Spadeadam but it's not mentioned at:

In Cheshire I think. Long since disbanded along with all the other research facilities of both the gas and electricity industries.

Be nice to see some results.

Indeed.

Just off the Cheddar Gorge, a little road to the left afair.

It also featured in one of those '70s OU programmes on strain gauges, didn't it. Usually seen when you're watching a late film and the next thing you wake up to find it's 2:00 a.m. and you're watching a programme presented by some guy in the uniform beard, specs and pullover.

It is amazing how many research facilities are down little roads. I worked on one off the Newbury bypass, I was handed the poisoned chalice on a non-functioning sampling system. I did end up making it work, but I covered a lot of miles commuting to and fro. It was a constructed wetland to test the effectiveness of ameliorating runoff water. Great fun, turn down an unmarked 8' entrance off a dual carriageway road with a 38 tonner sitting on your rear bumper, then try to leave said entrance later with juggernauts doing 50mph. A good job the vehicle was a 1.9 turbo diesel. They pick up quite smartly when your knuckles go white.

John Schmitt

Well I was close with Cheshire, I just knew it wasn't Wensleydale :-)