Thought I'd put up some Scottish blocks that aren't Glaswegian for a change. These are all in Renfrewshire, just outside the city. I havent thaken any of the pics myself mind so the quality is a bit pish. man, I need a camera. there are so many blocks around here that are totally unrecorded:

my local, Provost Close in Johnstone. 13 storeys. Very popular because its right on the main street, 100m away from the town centre and not out in the schemes:

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/ThornBrae.jpg?t=1176658159

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/provostclose.jpg?t=1176658208

Asbury and Belmar Court in nearby Linwood - 15 storey, again fairly popular:

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/melrosebelmar.jpg?t=1176658241

Two of the three Gallowhill blocks in Paisley (Gallowhill Court and Glencairn Court):

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/Gallowhill.jpg?t=1176658309

A pic of the 5 Foxbar flats in Paisley taken in the early 60s:
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/Foxbarnew.jpg?t=1176658098

And the same blocks being blowen up in '04:
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/Foxbardemolition.jpg?t=1176657569

aw whit! it didnt work! how do you get them on the forum?

Hello schemie and welcome! :wave:

Thanks for those pics, I haven't seen those ones before! We're so used to seeing blocks in Glasgow so it's nice to see some outside of the city. :yes:

To get the pictures to show, put the addresses you posted...

in between these where this writing is!

And hopefully they should show up.

Schemie - welcome!

Great photos. I love the Scottish blocks with their hillsie settings against the wild, wide Scottish skies. The Kincardine ones are brilliant.

Speaking of blocks in hillrise setings, I remember once watching a programme about social deprivation etc in Yorkshire, and I remember seeing an atmospheric shot of a steep, mist shrouded Yorkshire valley with some tower blocks huddling on its floor. A really dramatic, semirural setting for the blocks. Does anyone know where this might be? Kirklees somewhere?

Got some pics of some Nottingham blocks. Had to be cheeky and nick them off emporis but we'll keep that to ourselves :)

Monters you mentioned Burrows court - This is the one that has been decomissioned. It's a nice looking block I think.
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w222/stefan_long18/419616.jpg

Southchurch Court
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w222/stefan_long18/420612.jpg

Victoria flats as seen on previous pages
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w222/stefan_long18/1841VictoriaCentreFlatsA_pic2.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w222/stefan_long18/untitled.jpg

Kingston Court - I think this is in a cluster of about 3 or 4 but im not sure.
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w222/stefan_long18/420629.jpg

Monters this one is for you as you mentioned Braidwood Court - This is what it looked like before the refurb.
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w222/stefan_long18/422510.jpg

Another pic
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w222/stefan_long18/422512.jpg

Colwick Woods Court - This is a lone block in the Sneinton Area of Nottingham
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w222/stefan_long18/422616.jpg

There are quite a few others but there aren't any pictures of them that I can find.

Thanks for digging those out stef! :okay:

That first block is very domineering. :eek: Notice the burnt out flat half way up. :bash:

Kingston Court is similar to some very tall blocks in Wolverhampton.

The braidwood one is pretty drab. what a waste of lovely concrete! but I like the rest of them. especially Kingston Court for its general hugeness. and you say Burrows Court has been decommissioned as in? bricked up/soon to be demolished? thats a shame. it looks nice and clean. Could think of many blocks worse than that one.

^^

Yes, Braidwood Court does look dull but I like it for that! :yes:

schemie, good to see you got the pictures on your earlier post up for everyone to see. :happy:

Regarding the blocks in Johnstone and Linwood, I like the way that there are blocks in even the small towns in Scotland, not just the bigger cities and towns like Glasgow, or even Paisley (although I can see that Johnstone and Linwood are near Paisley). They look nice, and I'm pleased that a lot of your local blocks have had refurbishments, yet retaining a hint of their original look.

And that last pic that shows a demolition - they look like they're in a rural area!

Schemie - Burrows court as far as im aware hasn't been bricked up or anything but it's empty I think.
Braidwood Court did look awful. Know though it's had a shiny new reclad and has been refurbished inside, all the windows replaced and it's lit up at the top at night. I'll see if I can find a pic of it.

Park Hill flats in Sheffield are the ultimate in brutalism. They're mostly derelict now, but are due to be given a makeover by Urban Splash (of Fort Dunlop, Birmingham fame)

Braidwood Court did look awful. Know though it's had a shiny new reclad and has been refurbished inside, all the windows replaced and it's lit up at the top at night. I'll see if I can find a pic of it.

i can see top of the bastard right from my window. braidwood court is on the right and looks pretty good from various different viewing points now. there's a well good vantage point on mansfield road

http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/8088/picture035eg0.jpg

And Rotunda, Birmingham fame. :yes:

Hey schemie (sorry for the belated welcome)!

I like Southchurch Court and Burrows Court! They are different and quite unusual in terms of design. They remind me of the Tower of London actually with the little towers on each corner. And I think Burrows has seen better days: note the burnt out window.

Kingston Court looks quite familiar. I think the design is used in quite a few blocks in the Midlands. But my, don't the balconies look flimsy? A thin concrete slab protruding from the façade and then some wiry railing around the edge! :eek:

Anyone got a picture of the new and 'improved' Braidwood Court?

^will have at some point, there's a crap one in the post above, but there are much better places to take pictures from

ranny, in your pic those blocks on the left look just so randomly shaped! They're fast becoming a favourite in this thread. :happy:

thanks for the warm welcome guys!

Nottingham does have some strange blocks doesn't it? dont know whether to hate them or love those random ones in the braidwood pic. They look kinda modern or have they been referbed? Any locals know how old they are?

And squinting at the Braidwood refurb... can see slight signs of improvement but its never gonna be great! lol

and to Butterfield - The Foxbar flats are in a semi-rural suburb in Paisley. The scheme was built in some fields on the Glennifer Braes so yeah i guess they are kinda out of place. Mitchellhill-esque i guess:

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/17_big.jpg?t=1176741470

^^

Wow! :eek: I haven't seen them from that angle before.

You would think they were in some sort of a rural community and look detached from the rest of Glasgow.

Excellent photo-hounding Stef. I like Burrows Court. I did notice the burned out flat though.

Braidwood looked a bit grim before the refit.

Where's Kingston Court?

We should have some sort of special thread (or maybe something on the Wiki) to commemorate tower blocks in bizarre semirural locations. Kincardine comes to mind once more.

yeah that was the problem with Castlemilk in general. Too detached from the rest of Glasgow. Some mental town planning went on in Glasgow im telling ya...

But for the sake of contrast here is one I know you guys will love - Gorbals in the 1980s:

http://www.wikimapia.org/p/00/00/06/41/88_big.jpg

Heres some more pics of the Gorbals (1980s). Looks like Beirut:

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/hutchi4.jpg?t=1176744314

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/hutchi3.jpg?t=1176744403

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/hutchi.jpg?t=1176744457

We should have some sort of special thread (or maybe something on the Wiki) to commemorate tower blocks in bizarre semirural locations. Kincardine comes to mind once more.

Oh yeah! :happy:

yeah that was the problem with Castlemilk in general. Too detached from the rest of Glasgow. Some mental town planning went on in Glasgow im telling ya...


Yet you would think most people would like living on the edge of the city by the countryside - the best of both worlds. They certainly give us good contrasts in the photos! :yes:

Heres some more pics of the Gorbals (1980s). Looks like Beirut


:eek: :eek: :eek:

Love the overgrown communal area!

These flats must have become derelict quite early on, like only 20ish years after being built. They didn't have a very long lifespan did they? :(

"Yet you would think most people would like living on the edge of the city by the countryside - the best of both worlds."

I guess that was the thinking behind Castlemilk but the first shops in Castlemilk weren't built for nearly 2 years after the tenements. The pubs and schools even longer than that. People were basically stuck on their tod with no opportunity to socialise and had to travel to other districts everyday just for groceries and a newspaper. All that and the more deep rooted social problems that would take way too much time to go into. So naturally, people just didnt want to live there and scooted. Intentions were good but the planning was fucked from the beginning.

"These flats must have become derelict quite early on, like only 20ish years after being built. They didn't have a very long lifespan did they?"

Aye its a shame they went up and came down so quickly. But they were the epitome of shit housing. They were built on damp ground and the dampness went through them like nobodys business. I remember reading somewhere that the builders were in a hurry to complete them for the Queen's visit and were given orders to make the flats 'look habitable' although the night before the first residents went in wallpaper was literally falling off the walls. No surprise they were gone by '88.

So much shit went up in the 20th century in Glasgow its unbelievable... but i must admit, its fascinating.

It certainly is fascinating. And you've got some great information and knowlege on the subject. It's amazing how the planners sometimes had no idea, and that there were problems right from the start. I suppose it's surprising that so many tower blocks actually still exist!

hey ive decided ive started so i might as well finish(and i can't be arsed doing my dissertation instead lol). So heres some more of Glesga's finest(and a wee Paisley one in there:

Hutchesontown, Gorbals demolition 2006:

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/HutchesontownD_doomed.jpg?t=1176750428

Stirlingfauld Place, Gorbals:

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/Gorbalslasttenement.jpg?t=1176750632

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/Stirlingfauldperspective.jpg?t=1176750291

Cranhill blocks

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/64_big.jpg?t=1176750139

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/21_big.jpg?t=1176750169

Dougrie Place, castlemilk:

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/90_big.jpg?t=1176750192

grim stuff from Pollokshaws:

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/01_big.jpg?t=1176750221

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/pollokshaws-1.jpg?t=1176750247

Red Road:

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/RedRoadcomparison.jpg?t=1176750324

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/Barmullochtenements.jpg?t=1176750495

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/RedRoadbuilders.jpg?t=1176750353

Moss Heights, Cardonald (Glasgow's first - built in 1953)

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/MossHeightsrefurb.jpg?t=1176750055

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/MossHeightsCardonaldrear.jpg?t=1176750093

And heres a wee one from Ferguslie Park(Paisley), Britains most deprived area. These in the background are THE most run down blocks ive ever seen. They are literally falling apart and two of them are bricked up and have scorch marks up the walls. The other one has 4 occupants and the bottom 5 floors have shutters on them. Really need to get pics of them properly. The rubble in the foreground is what remains of the high school:

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/JohnNeilsonFerguslie.jpg?t=1176750020

more later chaps. dont want to totally destroy the Nottingham banter.

:lol:

We can never have enough photos and info about the Glasgow area.

I didn't realise that Paisley had the most deprived area in Britain - it always looks so nice from the M8! :lol: I'd have thought somewhere in Glasgow would be a better contender for that title, if not another British city. The beautiful scenery of central Scotland outweighs the not-so-nice run down areas anyway. :yes:

People in Paisley talk in hushed tones about Fergusley Park...

Except when they want to buy some drugs or something.

Anyway, was in Nottingham today, just where those oddly shaped tower blocks were, I was just thinking how much Butterfield would love them. And how I really should take my camera with me...

Awww! Well it would have been nice to see your photos of them but, well, I won't complain. We'll just have to continue raiding what the internet already provides. :)

"The beautiful scenery of central Scotland outweighs the not-so-nice run down areas anyway."

damn right! although i do like my grime. possibly because it reminds me of my care-free childhood in the east end. or possibly because it is just crying out for social commentary, which i plan to do once i get my degree in 4years time.

ah... just checked my sources and youre right. BBC says Feegie is the most deprived area in Scotland. no britain. I thought it was funny none of the psycho London/Brum/Manc districts were on the list lol but Paisley is a shitehole. Like most places, it shows its pleasant shiny face on the surface and its mad mental "ahm gonnae kill ye an stab ye" side hidden. Or at least in Feegie lol. been jumped 3 times just walking thru there.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/6058524.stm

Most deprived areas in Scotland if memory serves me well from reading the Daily Record after the 2006 results were announced:

1)Ferguslie Park - Paisley
2)Castlemilk - Glasgow
3)St James - Paisley
4)Bridgeton/Dalmarnock - Glasgow
5)Shettleston - Glasgow

and yeah gimme the closeups of the strange blocks so i can add them to my weird and wonderful collection of photos :)

I've got a stat for you.

Liverpool only built 71 tower blocks, which compared to the 30-odd built in Castle Vale and 400 for Birmingham as a whole, is really a small number.

These are Paisley eh?

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/32/62140238_7b198b428c.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/28/62140170_c966807c84.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/27/62140340_0bff828db8.jpg

Far far too much to reply to here. I'm not sure what it is about Nottingham's council - they had to have their own design of tower blocks, AND their own design of buses. Although, as discussed earlier, Lenton blocks are VERY similar to the ones in Flint, or vice versa.

When I first saw the Foxbar pics, I immediately thought it was Castlemilk. Quite odd. Great pics of 80s Hutchie lowrise. You only ever see the tall stuff, never the low. Any more where that came from?

"The beautiful scenery of central Scotland outweighs the not-so-nice run down areas anyway."

damn right! although i do like my grime. possibly because it reminds me of my care-free childhood in the east end. or possibly because it is just crying out for social commentary, which i plan to do once i get my degree in 4years time.

ah... just checked my sources and youre right. BBC says Feegie is the most deprived area in Scotland. no britain. I thought it was funny none of the psycho London/Brum/Manc districts were on the list lol but Paisley is a shitehole. Like most places, it shows its pleasant shiny face on the surface and its mad mental "ahm gonnae kill ye an stab ye" side hidden. Or at least in Feegie lol. been jumped 3 times just walking thru there.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/6058524.stm

Most deprived areas in Scotland if memory serves me well from reading the Daily Record after the 2006 results were announced:

1)Ferguslie Park - Paisley
2)Castlemilk - Glasgow
3)St James - Paisley
4)Bridgeton/Dalmarnock - Glasgow
5)Shettleston - Glasgow


Well, you're certainly on the right forums. There's a number of people on here who like grime and general deprivation, which all sounds a bit strange really! I'm kind of in between - I like urban landscapes with smoshed up buildings yet I love nothing more than to see a nice fresh and tidy tower block. :yes:

Do you know Port Glasgow? That's supposed to have some extremely cheap housing, yet once again it's in a beautiful location overlooking the mouth of the Clyde and the hills beyond, and despite its name is about 25 miles from Glasgow proper. These townlets must make for some great photo opportunities!

I've got a stat for you.

Liverpool only built 71 tower blocks, which compared to the 30-odd built in Castle Vale and 400 for Birmingham as a whole, is really a small number.

Interesting! I thought Liverpool had just demolished more blocks than most other cities so I didn't realise they didn't build that many in the first place.

I'd love to know where you're getting all this info from, yet you won't say. :bash: So we'll just have to keep believing that you're simply reeling all this information off the top of your head, you clever thing. :gossip:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/27/62140340_0bff828db8.jpg


You'd have thought that with the nice new hats these blocks received, someone would have suggested that they should also be painted in a light colour...

Not that I mind, of course. I like dull tower blocks as much as I like colourful ones. I know which you prefer BH. ;)

Yeah, don't get me started on ruining the things with pitched roofs and bright colours!!!! Grrrr

Foxbar
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/2/2135771_113a538772_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/2/2135765_34fa3ba07d_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/2/2135770_197ee161ce_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/2/2135768_77ba042b03_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/2/2135766_d294a501a2_o.jpg

Barrhead
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/2/2032456_c9a9190e9c_b.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/2/2032427_6e81ab6d4d_b.jpg

Cambuslang
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/23/25287272_2e5c0a0f6b_b.jpg

I've got a pic here of the interior of Spence's Hutchesontown C high flats here, and one of Leith Fort. Can I be arsed scanning them in...

Two words: W-ow!!! :eek:

Found a pic of Hightown Flats, Wrexham on Flickr - the blocks aint that close together, it's a mirror image

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/35/115860790_e0e46e693a_b.jpg

Nice walkways. :yes:

Are these the same ones as you posted early on, now white, and on the Whitchurch Road or somewhere?

Yeah, those are the ones, although they are the same colour in that pic as in my pic. Originally they were the same colour as that Barrhead one under the cladding. Need more pictures of them when I'm feeling brave enough.

One is for sale here (http://www.vebra.com/home/search/vdetails.asp?pid=11867171&cl=2252&src=12)

Speaking of Dalmarnock in Glasgow, I checked it out on Google Earth and there are what appear to be two very tall blocks of flats in the east of the area, near the riverbank, butthey're juust about to be demolished if they haven'talready been. Any news from our frinds north of the border? It also looks like more may have been cleared around them. Here's a photo from Flickr:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/104/368852147_4836ff0e3c.jpg?v=0

Some of the area's tenements look equally impressively grim:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/173/389539101_12a1d1ea95.jpg?v=0

I didn't really know any of the old tenements survived, I assumed they had all been replaced. The Scottish "love affair" (if you can call it that) with high density working class housing is an interesting story especially when you consider that Scotland on the whole is not short of space.

Also check outthese high rise honeys, straight outta Bucharest:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/30/47073818_e9ede948fb.jpg?v=0

Don't know if you guys are aware of this Flickr group:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/highriseglasgow/

Those Dalmarnock ones have been coming down for ages haven't they? They certainly seem to have been stripped for ages. The other ones around them were pulled down a few years ago if I'm not mistaken.

Those Anderston ones are fantastic, I hope they don't put little hats and archways on those.

OH DEAR GOD! fantastic pics Borras Hwfa! I've never seen the Foxbar yins from that angle before. I'm amazed there were still huge chunks of them still intact. Guess they were better put together than most. The Barrhead one is my fav. looks so damn brutal with its cladding fallen off. When was that taken? Im not too familiar with the town but i dont remember the flats being there. And your posting of the 'Red Tops' is appreciated. My Uncle Billy lives in Union Court there.

And yes Butterfield I am familiar with the Port :) one of my mates goes to the high school there (unfortunate soul that she is). Its in between one of the richest towns in the country, Kilmacolm, and one of the poorest, Greenock, to help ease the transition lol. And you say that its 25 miles from Glasgow but really its still pretty much Glaswegian. The city has some messed up boundaries that doesnt really show its true size. Many Weegies went to the Port during the overspill policy so a sizable number of the population are or are children of Glaswegians. And going even further back, some Glaswegians moved to the Port for jobs in the shipyard in the late 19th/early 20th century so there are few genuine Inverclyders there. its a wee town with some very interesting history. And, i agree, the veiw over the Clyde Valley from up on the hill is fantastic especially at low tide. No pics of Port Glasgow but there is a 5minute video on youtube with the extremely cheap housing you are referring to (on Robert Street):

http://youtube.com/watch?v=LqzVc-jd3Nc

and how come there arent that many high rises in Liverpool? From what I hear they had a similar problem with overcrowding Glasgow did so how did they solve it?

and im not a fan of the Anderston blocks. they ugly! and titchy in comparison to most Glagow tower blocks. The idea behind them was pretty genius though.

and i'll get some more pics on here after my tea. long day at school and i cannae be arsed at the mo! :p

Interesting! I thought Liverpool had just demolished more blocks than most other cities so I didn't realise they didn't build that many in the first place.

I was led to believe that too. But they did set up a HAT (Housing Action Trust) to tackle the problems with the tower blocks so maybe they have demolished quite a considerable amount. I suppose we can never really come to full gone number for any city because it's all down to how you describe a tower block. On the wiki I chose to go all the way down to 5 storey which would definitely chop the tower off tower block, but I chose it to get a wide scope.

I'd love to know where you're getting all this info from, yet you won't say. :bash: So we'll just have to keep believing that you're simply reeling all this information off the top of your head, you clever thing. :gossip:

:lol: I'm not that clever! I'm just finding it all in books and magazines. Where these books and magazines are is a different matter, and that is something I'll be keeping to myself :yes:.

5 storeys! there are quite possible hundereds of thousands of wee blocks out there like these not much bigger than tenements:

Johnstone Castle (i live just down the road :) )

http://www.johnstonetown.org.uk/life/places/requested/chestnut/Images/chestnut02.jpg

there were 5 of those blocks there on the left and really they are just big tenements. if they did count as tower blocks Linwood might have the highest concentration of them in the country! They have about 20 or so in a 1 mile radius!

tower block on left, deck-access mid rise(6 storey) in the middle and 5 storey on the right for a comparison:

http://www.johnstonetown.org.uk/life/places/360s/Images/p01.jpg

I stayed in the mid rise block in the centre... im a tower block kid and i didnt know it! :p

maybe 8 might be a better cut off? at least they have lifts and concierge and other tower blocky stuff lol:

(Drumchapel)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v379/kendeluk/DSCF0007.jpg

nice of you to take time and create the wiki though :)

^^It was more a matter of waiting than anything. I just had to convince them that it was worthwhile and people wanted it! Easy peasy.

I like the little tower block on the right of the last picture. Mini blocks need more recognition out there :yes:.

lol just my own personal bias against wee mini blocks coming through. i like the whole "My block is much bigger than yours" mentality and when i see low rise pish staying up and high rise 'art' coming down... gets me blood boiling! :@

and the place is full of them mini blocks (most are in much better condition than that mind...) Penillee has 4. Hillington has 4. Cardonald has 2. Polloksheilds has 4. I think i seen one in Possilpark but i was drunk that night so it might just have been a really tall, fat man...

theres some mini blocks in the Wyndford estate in Maryhill too. Different design. They're 8 storey. and ugly me thinks.:

http://www.wikimapia.org/p/00/00/06/90/35_big.jpg

http://www.wikimapia.org/p/00/00/06/90/39_big.jpg

some of the bigger ones. 26 storey. ahh... lovely tall blocks...:

http://www.wikimapia.org/p/00/00/07/42/65_big.jpg

http://www.wikimapia.org/p/00/00/06/90/38_big.jpg

The estate in general is very Londonish i always think. we dont have 'estates' here in the sense that you guys down south have. So Wyndford looks almost exotic... hmmm... exaggerating a bit...:

http://www.wikimapia.org/p/00/00/06/90/37_big.jpg

http://www.wikimapia.org/p/00/00/07/89/16_big.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/105/298190594_90ff6a2ee1.jpg?v=0

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/110/298190564_fbf2790dfd.jpg?v=0

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/97/246884084_3d001c9e90.jpg?v=0

oh by the way, just noticed theres no Edinburgh blocks on these forums so heres a new addition. Edinburghs no such a nice place as they lead you to believe. I think their Sighthill... nah i was gonna say its worse than Glasgow's but then I remembered what it was like last time I was in the Fountainwell side...

The Barrhead one is my fav. looks so damn brutal with its cladding fallen off. When was that taken? Im not too familiar with the town but i dont remember the flats being there

Apparently that picture is from December 2004. I would like to see some earlier, pre-reclad pics if anyone can find any.

and im not a fan of the Anderston blocks. they ugly! and titchy in comparison to most Glagow tower blocks. The idea behind them was pretty genius though.

WRONG! They're fantastic looking. True, they'd be better at 30 storeys, but I think the style is amazing.

:lol: I'm not that clever! I'm just finding it all in books and magazines. Where these books and magazines are is a different matter, and that is something I'll be keeping to myself :yes:.

Dammit, where do they keep books and magazines, tell us!!!! And don't come out with that "libraries" bollocks again!!! :) Actually, does anyone know if it is possible to borrow books from a library nowhere near where you live?

It was more a matter of waiting than anything. I just had to convince them that it was worthwhile and people wanted it! Easy peasy.

So how is Wikia better than Wikipedia? Excuse my ignorance, I aint got much time on my hands at the moment to have a good look at it.

I like the little tower block on the right of the last picture. Mini blocks need more recognition out there .

This just reminded me of the "Wee Multis" at Saltcoats, and the story behind them. Basically, the council wanted tower blocks, and the government said no. However, the council had already printed some literature telling the people they were having some tower blocks, so they compromised and ended up with a couple of small ones.

oh by the way, just noticed theres no Edinburgh blocks on these forums so heres a new addition. Edinburghs no such a nice place as they lead you to believe. I think their Sighthill... nah i was gonna say its worse than Glasgow's but then I remembered what it was like last time I was in the Fountainwell side...

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/41/118239250_adee1e23a7.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/81/266147883_5be1801dbd.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/133/385819279_018cf5a4ac.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/41/98635082_866d9ad70a.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/35/118239248_b5192f95da.jpg

We really do seem to be having a bit of an increase in posts in this thread over the last few days, it has to be said. :happy:


One is for sale here (http://www.vebra.com/home/search/vdetails.asp?pid=11867171&cl=2252&src=12)

Wow, I can't believe how cheap that is! You'd be hard pushed to find anything like that round here, even the really skanky places.

I didn't realise that Wrexham had a Llangollen 'LL' postcode!


And yes Butterfield I am familiar with the Port :) one of my mates goes to the high school there (unfortunate soul that she is). Its in between one of the richest towns in the country, Kilmacolm, and one of the poorest, Greenock, to help ease the transition lol. And you say that its 25 miles from Glasgow but really its still pretty much Glaswegian. The city has some messed up boundaries that doesnt really show its true size. Many Weegies went to the Port during the overspill policy so a sizable number of the population are or are children of Glaswegians. And going even further back, some Glaswegians moved to the Port for jobs in the shipyard in the late 19th/early 20th century so there are few genuine Inverclyders there. its a wee town with some very interesting history. And, i agree, the veiw over the Clyde Valley from up on the hill is fantastic especially at low tide. No pics of Port Glasgow but there is a 5minute video on youtube with the extremely cheap housing you are referring to (on Robert Street):

http://youtube.com/watch?v=LqzVc-jd3Nc


Thanks for that info! And the video is quite amusing in a :eek: kind of a way...

You certainly know a lot of stuff about your area, that gets a big :okay: from me.

oh by the way, just noticed theres no Edinburgh blocks on these forums

Yeah, that's true! It's rather overshadowed by Glasgow in this thread so it's nice to see some from yourself and BH. Although I have in the past seen great photos of Edinburgh's blocks with the castle in the background. :happy: What is it with Scotland and great contrasts?! Speaking of which:


http://www.wikimapia.org/p/00/00/07/89/16_big.jpg

:drool: :drool: :drool:

Tower blocks and mountains... Tower blocks and mountains... :drool:


So how is Wikia better than Wikipedia? Excuse my ignorance, I aint got much time on my hands at the moment to have a good look at it.


Wikia allows you to create articles on really mundane subjects that won't get deleted unlike on Wikipedia. :yes:

Just thought I'd go back and quote these pictures.


http://www.wikimapia.org/p/00/00/06/90/39_big.jpg

That's quite a dense little cluster of grey blocks. :happy:

http://www.wikimapia.org/p/00/00/07/42/65_big.jpg


Those blocks remind me of some in Birmingham, only Glasgow's are taller but thinner.
These ones are by Edgbaston cricket ground in Brum.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v173/Robdann/Tower%20Blocks%205/birmingham1stApril200760.jpg

Wow, I can't believe how cheap that is! You'd be hard pushed to find anything like that round here, even the really skanky places.

I didn't realise that Wrexham had a Llangollen 'LL' postcode!

Wikia allows you to create articles on really mundane subjects that won't get deleted unlike on Wikipedia. :yes:

When you think about it, £52,500 for a one bedroom flat in there is a bloody disgrace. What is the world coming to? By the way, that's been on the market for months and months. My gran, who lives near there, tells me they're all being pulled down anyway.

Most of north Wales has an LL postcode, apart from Flintshire, which is CH. LL is for Llandudno, rather than Llangollen. Llangollen is hardly big enough to merit a postbox, never mind a postcode. Although development fever has hit there recently - it has executive apartments going up left right and centre.

They get deleted???? Really???? Shouldn't it be called excitipedia then, if you're only allowed exciting stuff?

Speaking of which http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_postal_districts_in_the_United_Kingdom

When you think about it, £52,500 for a one bedroom flat in there is a bloody disgrace. What is the world coming to? By the way, that's been on the market for months and months. My gran, who lives near there, tells me they're all being pulled down anyway.

A one bedroom flat in a skanky 4 storey block with vandalised stairwells near me is currently £59,000. It's actually quite nice inside!

LL is for Llandudno, rather than Llangollen.

Ohhhhhhhhhh. Next you'll tell me that the SY of Aberystwythshire isn't the far away Shrewsbury after all... :|

They get deleted???? Really???? Shouldn't it be called excitipedia then, if you're only allowed exciting stuff?

Meh. I'll let Erebus explain. :poke:

Speaking of which http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_postal_districts_in_the_United_Kingdom

That's confusing. You say that LL=Llandudno, yet that's LL30 and there is no LL1. Wrexham is the highest at LL11-14. :nuts:

Wrexham should be either WM or WX! :yes:

What do you make of these?
They are all in Glasgow

http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q95/The_Talking_orange/Glesga4.jpg
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q95/The_Talking_orange/Glesga2.jpg
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q95/The_Talking_orange/Glesga.jpg
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q95/The_Talking_orange/Glesga7.jpg
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q95/The_Talking_orange/Glesga3.jpg
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q95/The_Talking_orange/glasgow_housing_towers_278.jpg

THIS IS MY FAVOURITE IMAGE EVER!!!:drool:
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q95/The_Talking_orange/Glesga6.jpg

wow! love the pic of the Germiston/Royston blocks, but the pic of Gallowgate rising above those tenements as the clouds open up to accomodate them... *drools*

Borras: Wikipedia only allows 'notable' articles but on wikia (which is run by the same people as Wikipedia), you can set up your own wikipedia but on a specific subject and you can run it yourself adding all the articles you want! It makes it better for people who specialise on certain subjects to reply apply their knowledge on something that would not be allowed on Wikipedia.

got some pics here i just happened to come by while swotting. A few towns in there but the vast bulk are Glasgow. Can there really be that many blocks left in the city we havent covered already? *does quick calculation* 4 in Cardonald... 2 in Pollokshaws... Edgefauld Road and its mate... another 7 in Maryhill... 4 in Springburn... 2 in Drumoyne...ah fuck way too many to count. in summer i'll go on a mission for yis and root out all the ones that everyone else has missed.

Greenock:

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/local%20area/greenock2.jpg?t=1176921746

Gourock, really small town near Greenock. Tower block is in the centre:

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/local%20area/gourock.jpg?t=1176921791

Coronation Park, Port Glasgow (recognise these Butterfield?):

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/local%20area/CoronationPark-1.jpg?t=1176922015

Callander Court, Falkirk:

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/local%20area/callanderfalkirk.jpg?t=1176923059

Falkirk reclad:

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/local%20area/refurb.jpg?t=1176922218

Clydebank represent! Radnor Park:

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/local%20area/radnorparkclydebank.jpg?t=1176922522

Now onto Glasgow...

Glenmavis Street, Port Dundas:

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/local%20area/GlenmavisSt.jpg?t=1176921879

Dundasvale Court, Port Dundas:

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/local%20area/DundasvaleCourt.jpg?t=1176921956

Balbeggie Street, Sandyhills:

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/local%20area/sandyhills.jpg?t=1176922150

I know.. I know... Damn Red Road again. But i love this pic so :nuts: you!:

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/local%20area/redroad4.jpg?t=1176922293

Apparently this block isn't included in the Red Road scheme despite being across the road from the other 8 and the same height/design. Anyone know any more about it and if its getting demolished with the rest?:

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/local%20area/redroad3.jpg?t=1176922382

Woodside flats, Maryhill:

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/local%20area/maryhill3.jpg?t=1176922589

Glenavon Road, Maryhill:

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/local%20area/glenavonroadmaryhill.jpg?t=1176922674

Drumchapel:

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/local%20area/drumchapel2.jpg?t=1176922718

last ones left in Castlemilk, Dougrie Place:

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/local%20area/dougrie.jpg?t=1176922751

Dalmarnock. Still not down after like a years preparation:

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/local%20area/dalmarnock.jpg?t=1176922793

Cumbrae Tower in Cardonald. The last block to be built by GCC. Nothing spectacular though apart from the mad blue lights at the top(they come on at night).Moss Heights, the first, is in the background:

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/local%20area/cardonald2.jpg?t=1176922857

mini blocks for Erebus lol. Cardonald:

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/local%20area/cardonaldminis.jpg?t=1176923009

Broomhill. Similar design to the Gorbals ones that were demolished:

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/local%20area/broomhill.jpg?t=1176923153

Sighthill Glasgow... with a rainbow :)

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/local%20area/sighthillglasgow.jpg?t=1176923216

64 Curle Street, Whiteinch. before refurb:

http://www.wikimapia.org/p/00/00/07/64/65_big.jpg

clockwise - Kingsway Court, Scotstoun - Plean Street, Yoker - Lincoln Avenue, Knightswood:

http://www.wikimapia.org/p/00/00/07/89/35_big.jpg

Townhead:

http://www.wikimapia.org/p/00/00/07/42/63_big.jpg

40 Rosemount Street, Royston:

http://www.wikimapia.org/p/00/00/07/60/40_big.jpg

Prospecthill Circus, Toryglen. Seconds before demolition:

http://www.wikimapia.org/p/00/00/07/01/31_big.jpg

mini blocks for Erebus lol. Cardonald:

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/local%20area/cardonaldminis.jpg?t=1176923009


:happy:! I like them, the façade looks very interesting and unique. The other towers look amazing! I really like tall and thin ones because the vertical emphasis is incredible. :yes:

All these photos make me jealous of Glasgow now :lol:

"All these photos make me jealous of Glasgow now"

as if there arent a few million Brum photos out there! well im getting bored with Scot blocks now. when i finish my essays i'll move on and try and find some hidden gems down south and try and keep this forum from becoming an extension of the Glasgow Tower Blocks thread :) but we have so many that im gonna show them off to ya in the meantime!

^^Keep going. The Glasgow blocks are really impressive. All the impressive Birmingham blocks are either demolished or set to be demolished. That's why I like the mini blocks because they aren't seen as eyesores by the public and they are kept!

http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q95/The_Talking_orange/Glesga2.jpg


That is an amazing picture!!!! :eek: Is there a bigger version of it anywhere?? Judging by that picture, you'd think that everyone in Scotland lived in Glasgow!


Gourock, really small town near Greenock. Tower block is in the centre:
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/local%20area/gourock.jpg?t=1176921791

I've seen this before, it's in a lovely position and is without doubt the last tower block to the west of Glasgow. Unless the tiny town of Dunoon has any of course. ;)

Coronation Park, Port Glasgow (recognise these Butterfield?):
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/local%20area/CoronationPark-1.jpg?t=1176922015

No, I don't recognise them actually - in fact I didn't realise that Port Glasgow had any tower blocks. I thought it was just tenements! But I don't know much about the town, just that it has ultra cheap housing.

Callander Court, Falkirk:
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/adamcarrington/local%20area/callanderfalkirk.jpg?t=1176923059

Wow, love the way these are lined up! :happy:

That's confusing. You say that LL=Llandudno, yet that's LL30 and there is no LL1. Wrexham is the highest at LL11-14. :nuts:

Wrexham should be either WM or WX! :yes:

I think it might have something to do with LL looking like 11 when written as ll :nuts: or maybe not

Anyway, my favourite subject - Hutchesontown/Gorbals

http://www.mitchelllibrary.org/virtualmitchell/image.php?i=15130&r=2&t=4

http://www.mitchelllibrary.org/virtualmitchell/image.php?i=15127&r=2&t=4

http://www.mitchelllibrary.org/virtualmitchell/image.php?i=15135&r=2&t=4

http://www.mitchelllibrary.org/virtualmitchell/image.php?i=15134&r=2&t=4

http://www.mitchelllibrary.org/virtualmitchell/image.php?i=12706&r=2&t=4

http://www.mitchelllibrary.org/virtualmitchell/image.php?i=14580&r=2&t=4

http://www.mitchelllibrary.org/virtualmitchell/image.php?i=14578&r=2&t=4

^^

Love that 4th picture! :yes:

Possil
http://www.mitchelllibrary.org/virtualmitchell/image.php?i=11405&r=2&t=4

Dalmarnock (flats in background are just about to be stripped in preparation for demolition 40 years later)
http://www.mitchelllibrary.org/virtualmitchell/image.php?i=9184&r=2&t=4

Crathie Drive under construction, 1951!!!
http://www.mitchelllibrary.org/virtualmitchell/image.php?i=13804&r=2&t=4

Bluevale and Whitevale
http://www.mitchelllibrary.org/virtualmitchell/image.php?i=12977&r=2&t=4

Cedar Court
http://www.mitchelllibrary.org/virtualmitchell/image.php?i=13487&r=2&t=4

Maryhill
http://www.mitchelllibrary.org/virtualmitchell/image.php?i=14341&r=2&t=4

http://www.mitchelllibrary.org/virtualmitchell/image.php?i=14340&r=2&t=4

http://www.mitchelllibrary.org/virtualmitchell/image.php?i=15082&r=2&t=4

Finally, Wynford in '67

http://www.mitchelllibrary.org/virtualmitchell/image.php?i=17959&r=2&t=4

http://www.mitchelllibrary.org/virtualmitchell/image.php?i=17960&r=2&t=4

http://www.mitchelllibrary.org/virtualmitchell/image.php?i=17957&r=2&t=4

http://www.mitchelllibrary.org/virtualmitchell/image.php?i=17958&r=2&t=4

Oh my... those pictures have made me a bit over excited. :puke: :puke: :puke:

I especially love the 2nd, 3rd and 4th pics of the last lot. :eek:

some REAL gems in there. bloody hell... would have loved to have lived back then with all that stuff going up around me. and any time i see those gallowgate behemoths im in sheer awe. the design is so unashamedly brutalist and tall its fantastic. when they come down, it'll be a sad day for glaswegian architecture. Surprised how fresh and clean they all look back in the day. guess most of them are so manky its hard to imagine they werent always that way!

Glasgow did 1960s slum clearance different to many other British cities. Cities like Hull, Liverpool, Coventry had the sprawling low rise estates with the odd tower Block. In Glasgow you could be assured that in the place of a small area of terraced housing you would get several tower blocks. Just look at that picture of Whitevale/Bluevale. They are surrounded by some quite impressive victorian architecture. You also got estates solely containing flats over 4 storeys.

thats because pre-war Scotland had different legislation than the rest of the UK that meant building tenements (the 4 storey Victorian flats you are referring to) was encouraged. So we ended up with tenements, everyone else got terraces. post war, during the slum clearances, we had 1.2 million people literally stacked on top of each other. So we sent them out to new towns and overspill areas in other towns but we still had a massive amount of people in the city boundaries so the only way to solve this was to continue with building tenements because there was still too many people to have a 2 storey terrace/semi house each. not to mention tenements are as Glaswegian as the Clyde itself so to start build terraces all of a sudden would be a little strange. They did use cottage flat designs in the 20s which worked well though.

Heres some of the newly refurbished Braidwood Court in Nottingham. Quite impressive refurb I think.

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w222/stefan_long18/IMG_1806.jpg
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w222/stefan_long18/IMG_1807.jpg

Great Pictures by the Way. Love the Construction pics of any Tower Block! Anyway was driving about the Gorbals/Hutchesontown yesterday and Today( trying to find Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice:cry:) which was near Norfolk Court and Stirlingfauld court. Passed by all the other Tower Blocks in the Area as well. Stirlingfauld Court lights up at night with coloured lights. Norfolk Court doesn't. Also passed by Bluevale and Whitevale and all the other Big tower blocks on the way from Rutherglen to the Gorbals. Anyway all the blocks are massive when you are up close. Love Stirlinfauld and Norfolk Court Pity they will be Demolished

This thread is always very interesting...
I am a (french) fan of tower blocks and there are plenty of fascinating pictures and informations here.

We got a large amount of 1960's-1970's towers blocks in France too.
Here are some pics I took of the largest tower block in my hometown, Nantes (well, actually this is located in a suburb of Nantes, Saint-Herblain) :



This building, built between 1968 and 1971, contains 31 floors (95 m) and 882 flats. It was the biggest public housing building in Europe at its time :

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y135/Guillaume44/2007_0212Image017.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y135/Guillaume44/2007_0212Image021.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y135/Guillaume44/2007_0212Image006.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y135/Guillaume44/2007_0212Image024.jpg



Some more pics in this thread on the french forum : http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=441374

That building is huge I love it. Could do with a good old clean though.

Heres some of the newly refurbished Braidwood Court in Nottingham. Quite impressive refurb I think.

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w222/stefan_long18/IMG_1806.jpg
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w222/stefan_long18/IMG_1807.jpg

Is that the ugly brown one that everyone was so extremely ruuude about? I think it looks nice, it's a pleasant makeover giving it that typical plasticy look. Not sure what "hat hating" fellow forumer Borras_Hwfa will make of it though... ;)

Great Pictures by the Way. Love the Construction pics of any Tower Block! Anyway was driving about the Gorbals/Hutchesontown yesterday and Today( trying to find Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice:cry:) which was near Norfolk Court and Stirlingfauld court. Passed by all the other Tower Blocks in the Area as well. Stirlingfauld Court lights up at night with coloured lights. Norfolk Court doesn't. Also passed by Bluevale and Whitevale and all the other Big tower blocks on the way from Rutherglen to the Gorbals. Anyway all the blocks are massive when you are up close. Love Stirlinfauld and Norfolk Court Pity they will be Demolished

I feel as though you're describing a tour of Hollywood or something, having seen a lot of A-list stars. That's how iconic some of Glasgow's blocks are! :lol:

That building is huge I love it. Could do with a good old clean though.

My thoughts exactly. If it was cleaned it would look great! Thanks GM for those, it's nice to see some tower blocks from our neighbours accross the channel. :yes:

Guys, I suggest check out GM's link on his post to the thread he's started, there's loads more pictures of this giant block. It actually looks cleaner in some of those pictures!

Yeh thats the same block. It's lit up around the top which makes it look good at night aswell. Overall I think it looks good im just not sure about the blue strips accross it. They should have gone with all silver cladding I think.

Yeah, perhaps you're right.

It still looks modern and easier on the eye than it did and that will please most people. But I did also like the brutal look of it before. :yes:

Heres a picture of the Hull skyline showing some of the tower blocks. The white and blue one is the furthest west of a row of 5. The pink ones to the right are the ones with the funny looking houses at the top.

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=462905407&size=l

http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/4949/picture006ly9.jpg

It looks as if more of the Anlaby Road tower blocks are being refurbished although not sure i'll like them all to be very colourful. I've been in the white/blue/multicoloured one (far right) before the reclad although sadly i dont have a reason to go in now. My grandma who lived on the 8th floor moved out about 4 years ago but i still can remember vaguely the interior. Noisy lifts, flowery corridoor carpets and large floor numbers soon as you stepped out the lifts. I guess since then its changed inside as well.

Not sure what "hat hating" fellow forumer Borras_Hwfa will make of it though... ;)

Nope, rubbish. Somebody blow it up please, it's been ruined!

Braidwood Court looks nice now :o im not usually a fan of refurbs but they turned a very bland building into a fairly decent one. Like the windows especially. I like the style of the Hull ones btw. They shouldnt be recladded when they look so grim and brown... reminds me of a shorter, fatter Broomloan Court (Ibrox, Glasgow):

http://www.wikimapia.org/p/00/00/06/90/09_big.jpg

but oh my god! that French fcuker is HUGE! i would say it is a fabulous piece of architecture but sadly it reminds me of a giant Johnstone High School so points off for the association lol

Look at the pattern on the side of this block in Paddington, London! Never seen anything quite like that before. :eek:

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photos/40/42/404212_1270e456.jpg

And can someone please explain this wee beastie in Glasgow?? Is it new or old??! :? :nuts:

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photos/38/22/382234_c8a8a688.jpg

Look at the pattern on the side of this block in Paddington, London! Never seen anything quite like that before. :eek:

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photos/40/42/404212_1270e456.jpg

Wow, looks like a huge climbing wall! :)

Look at this cutesie little lot in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire: :eek:

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photos/21/77/217743_531f39b7.jpg

Wow, looks like a huge climbing wall! :)

Yes it does!

Look at this cutesie little lot in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire: :eek:

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photos/21/77/217743_531f39b7.jpg

Looks like a nice estate to live on doesn't it.
With a refurb though they could look quite modern with the angles and everything that are on them.

A rural setting for this block in Mixenden (great name!), Halifax
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photos/03/94/039483_8ad2ff4c.jpg

Don't know what's going on on the top of these blocks in Bradford...
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photos/39/73/397380_869c6882.jpg

Looks like a nice estate to live on doesn't it.
With a refurb though they could look quite modern with the angles and everything that are on them.

Yeah it probably could look quite modern. However, it's apparently due for demolition.

And finally for now, Borras_Hwfa never told us about this mini tower block in Bangor, north north north North Wales! :nono: Not that he knows every inch of it, of course. :tongue2:

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photos/38/06/380600_1cde9cfa.jpg

EDIT: I think I've just died. This mini tower block isn't actually in Bangor, but near. That's because it's not actually on the mainland but over the Menai Bridge on the Isle of ANGLESEY!!!!!!!

We have our first non-mainland tower block!!!!! :pepper: :banana: :carrot: :cucumber:

"And can someone please explain this wee beastie in Glasgow?? Is it new or old??!"

http://www.wikimapia.org/p/00/00/07/89/11_big.jpg

thats Anniesland Court. Its fairly old, built in 1966, 23 storeys tall... Unlike most of Glasgow's blocks it was built with a higher grade of concrete which explains that it still looks in decent condition. Its one of only 2 Glasgow blocks built to an Art Deco design, The other one being Crathie Drive in Partick. It also has the title of Scotland's tallest listed building at 66m tall(although I personally think that Red Road should be listed but its a one man petition at the moment :soapbox: ) so therefore, is likely to be the only 20th century Glasgow block to make it to 2050... Looks like a boring version of Trellick Tower in London which I like... :

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/187/433424786_e6333e1859.jpg?v=0

And the Paddington blocks look like the architect has taken one look at them and thought "man these buildings looks like crap. Im gonna lose my job. I know lets put some little speech bubble patterns on the side and people will take photos of them in 40 years time and post them on websites" :hahaha:

That really is small! I love the one in Peterhead. It is amazing! It reminds me a little of the Disney movies with the castles and palaces and then the little insignificant windows on the sides...

Look at the pattern on the side of this block in Paddington, London! Never seen anything quite like that before. :eek:

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photos/40/42/404212_1270e456.jpg



These to me look like flats on the South Kilburn estate. Or stonebridge Harlesden.. not sure its Paddington.

wow just seen those Peterhead blocks :eek: looks like Spateston on growing pills. mmmm grime :drool:

:pepper: wooo! first island block! go BTB forum! Although its a bit of a baldy, half incher in terms of size and style lol

Aberdeen's bad boys (all taken by a bloke called Vladimir)

Seamont Court (and smaller friend):


http://farm1.static.flickr.com/183/461855423_0780355dd8.jpg?v=0

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/176/434237398_25ef9320b9.jpg?v=0

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/185/434237382_3402265480.jpg?v=0

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/147/434243893_ca9b5a53ed.jpg?v=0

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/111/310656791_fbfbd8b0bf.jpg?v=0

Olive Grove:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/162/409230657_a6f9fb4516.jpg?v=0

more:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/147/416573593_3ab7c9ee77.jpg?v=0

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/101/305121702_07e1dce46d.jpg?v=0

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/123/415501000_5041a0142a.jpg?v=0

Aberdeen is the most northernly city in Britain so I'd assume that these would be the most northernly tower blocks in Britain. Civilisation from here on up kinda dissolves into the moors...

http://l.yimg.com/www.flickr.com/images/spaceball.gif


http://l.yimg.com/www.flickr.com/images/spaceball.gif

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/50/136345113_e2e7a99b3e.jpg?v=0

http://www.wikimapia.org/p/00/00/07/89/11_big.jpg
thats Anniesland Court. Its fairly old, built in 1966, 23 storeys tall... Unlike most of Glasgow's blocks it was built with a higher grade of concrete which explains that it still looks in decent condition. Its one of only 2 Glasgow blocks built to an Art Deco design, The other one being Crathie Drive in Partick. It also has the title of Scotland's tallest listed building at 66m tall(although I personally think that Red Road should be listed but its a one man petition at the moment :soapbox: ) so therefore, is likely to be the only 20th century Glasgow block to make it to 2050... Looks like a boring version of Trellick Tower in London which I like...


Are you sure it hasn't had the usual "plastic" makeover? I'd expect it to be a bit more concrete-looking than that if it was original. It looks so new!

What's that in the background on that picture? :?

I love the one in Peterhead. It is amazing! It reminds me a little of the Disney movies with the castles and palaces and then the little insignificant windows on the sides...

Spot the difference! :lol:

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photos/21/77/217743_531f39b7.jpghttp://www.all-florida.net/vacation/hotels/images/castle.jpg

mmmm grime :drool:

:lol: :lol:

:pepper: wooo! first island block! go BTB forum! Although its a bit of a baldy, half incher in terms of size and style lol

Yeah, the Anglesey block isn't very big whatsoever but it has the the same styling as a proper tower block, plus it's on an island! :happy:

Someone now will tell me that one of Scotland's squillions of islands has got tower blocks galore... :|

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/147/434243893_ca9b5a53ed.jpg?v=0

"Welcome to beautiful Aberdeen!" :lol:



Aberdeen is the most northernly city in Britain so I'd assume that these would be the most northernly tower blocks in Britain. Civilisation from here on up kinda dissolves into the moors...

Thanks for those pics. Some of those blocks must have great views of the sea. I imagine these will be the most northern British tower blocks, so they're quite special. :yes:

was gonna do the whole lot of Edinburgh but my mum wants on the comp.

Cables Wynd:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/174/389271792_64539f8a2e.jpg?v=0

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/190/442584751_f2335e44d8.jpg?v=0

ho don't be slaggin Aberdeen.

Have some photos from my post on the Glasgow Tower Block Thread here. ENJOY!:)

What do you make of them?

http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q95/The_Talking_orange/Glesga4.jpg
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q95/The_Talking_orange/Glesga2.jpg
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q95/The_Talking_orange/Glesga.jpg
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q95/The_Talking_orange/Glesga7.jpg
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q95/The_Talking_orange/Glesga3.jpg
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q95/The_Talking_orange/glasgow_housing_towers_278.jpg
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q95/The_Talking_orange/Towers.jpg
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q95/The_Talking_orange/towers5.jpg
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q95/The_Talking_orange/tower3.jpg
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q95/The_Talking_orange/tower2.jpg
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q95/The_Talking_orange/towers4.jpg
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q95/The_Talking_orange/towers3.jpg
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q95/The_Talking_orange/towers2.jpg
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q95/The_Talking_orange/towers1.jpg
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q95/The_Talking_orange/Tower.jpg
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q95/The_Talking_orange/Glesga6.jpg
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q95/The_Talking_orange/Tower1.jpg
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q95/The_Talking_orange/towers7.jpg
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q95/The_Talking_orange/towers6.jpg

Mr. B - I think you've already posted those pics in this thread as well as the Glasgow blocks thread. I commented on how great this pic is:

http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q95/The_Talking_orange/Glesga2.jpg

Hi everyone! As GM I'm a French tower block fan, I love the impressive look blocks give tou our cities landscapes... and british tower blocks have a very special place in my heart. I've been lurking here for quite a while, seen a lot of great photos and now I think my time has come to contribute... Although I have loads of french blocks pics, here are the only 8 pics of british blocks taken by myself, hope you'll enjoy them: :)

London august 2006:
Ampthill Square Estate, Euston:
http://img454.imageshack.us/img454/7098/200608110awc2.jpg

Chalcots Estate, Swiss Cottage, from Camden Town stables market:
http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/3312/200608121aco8.jpg

Westbury Estate in Clapham from the Eurostar:
http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/4666/200608138amm8.jpg
http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/5472/200608139asy0.jpg

Unidentified blocks around Stockwell/Brixton I think :
http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/2482/200608140ang0.jpg

Kent april 2007:
Maidstone, a new entry! :banana:
http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/2564/2007041505maidstoneabq3.jpg
http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/3500/2007041506maidstoneaci7.jpg

and finally Dover:
http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/1569/2007041508doverajy6.jpg

hmphhh... apparently not the best way to post my pictures... How do you guys do to make it appear properly?

Hello l'effroyable and welcome! :wave:

Nice of you to make your first posts in this thread. :yes:

Thanks for your photos! I like the first blocks in your post - they are very big indeed. And you're right, Maidstone is a new entry in this thread - I haven't seen those blocks before! We've talked about those strange shaped blocks in Clapham before, I think they're a favourite on this thread.

To get your photos to show properly, put the address of each photo in between these and they should show.

And finally for now, Borras_Hwfa never told us about this mini tower block in Bangor, north north north North Wales! :nono: Not that he knows every inch of it, of course. :tongue2:

EDIT: I think I've just died. This mini tower block isn't actually in Bangor, but near. That's because it's not actually on the mainland but over the Menai Bridge on the Isle of ANGLESEY!!!!!!!

Can I take you back to post number 429, back on page 22, which I made on 15th January. It goes something like this...

I've seen a shortish tower on the road between Menai Bridge and Beaumaris, but I'm not sure if it is housing.

I do know every inch of it thank you very much! Is there a smug smiley?

Oh, and good to see Gallowgate pics from Aberdeen, one of my favourites. One of DOCOMOMO's "Sixty Key Monuments" of Scotland from 1993/94, don't you know!

Can I take you back to post number 429, back on page 22, which I made on 15th January. It goes something like this...



I do know every inch of it thank you very much! Is there a smug smiley?

Oh you BITCH!!! Well, maybe not a bitch exactly but you've made me look a fooool. And the "smug smiley" you're looking for is :bowtie:.

Oh, and good to see Gallowgate pics from Aberdeen, one of my favourites. One of DOCOMOMO's "Sixty Key Monuments" of Scotland from 1993/94, don't you know!

Which one(es) is/are Gallowgate?

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photos/21/77/217743_531f39b7.jpg


I honestly thought this was the back of the new Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh at the first glance - not that I don't like that building mind! Blimy...

Oh you BITCH!!! Well, maybe not a bitch exactly but you've made me look a fooool. And the "smug smiley" you're looking for is :bowtie:.

To be fair, I don't think that's the one I meant. That one looks like it is right near the roundabout as you come off the bridge. The one I meant is between Menai Bridge and Beaumaris, between the road and the water. Is it viewable on live.com? I can't see, I'm using a Mac at the moment and live.com don't seem to work on here.

Which one(es) is/are Gallowgate?

The two slab blocks together - most of the pictures.

To be fair, I don't think that's the one I meant. That one looks like it is right near the roundabout as you come off the bridge. The one I meant is between Menai Bridge and Beaumaris, between the road and the water. Is it viewable on live.com? I can't see, I'm using a Mac at the moment and live.com don't seem to work on here.

So what you're trying to say is that Anglesey is riddled with tower blocks?! :eek: ;)

I've never been as far as Anglesey. Closest I've been is Abersoch in 1987 and Llyn Trawsfynydd c.2003. I never thought there'd be tower blockettes that deep into North Wales - and there was me getting excited about pictures of tower blocks in far away places such as Telford! :lol:

I'll have a look on that live.com to see what I can see. I doubt it is covered on the 3D birds-eye view thang though. My older brother has got a Mac and he couldn't get that website to work when I phoned him in London to tell him about it. Us PC users have no probs of course... :bowtie:

The two slab blocks together - most of the pictures.

I can see why you would like those ones, they're quite impressively brutal. But I prefer the makeover'd ones. :yes:

I can see why you would like those ones, they're quite impressively brutal. But I prefer the makeover'd ones. :yes:

They are. Nice and pure, as god intended. Apparently they are superbly built and very well looked after as well. Or at least they were when this book was written.

I've never been as far as Anglesey. Closest I've been is Abersoch in 1987 and Llyn Trawsfynydd c.2003. I never thought there'd be tower blockettes that deep into North Wales - and there was me getting excited about pictures of tower blocks in far away places such as Telford! :lol:

Oh Anglesey is gorgeous. I go quite a bit, as it's only an hour away. And I can heartily recommend Beaumaris, look it up, it's beautiful.

I'll have a look on that live.com to see what I can see. I doubt it is covered on the 3D birds-eye view thang though. My older brother has got a Mac and he couldn't get that website to work when I phoned him in London to tell him about it. Us PC users have no probs of course... :bowtie:

I think it's the browser I use on my Mac, rather than it being a Mac. Maybe if I tried Internet Explorer on it, although I'd rather not put it on there. However, I've got a PC in work - and whereas there isn't the 3D stuff as you suspected, we have....

http://lluniau.simonjones.org/ssc/menai.jpg

This is your block bang in the middle of the screen. Must have been past loads, and I've never noticed it.

And this is the one I meant, to the same scale as yours so you can work out the size.

http://lluniau.simonjones.org/ssc/beaumaris.jpg

Like I said, not sure if it is housing. It'd a bugger to photograph as it's on a narrow twisty road and surrounded by trees, which is why I haven't. Although it might be possible from the Bangor side of the water, as it's directly opposite Bangor pier. Sounds like a good excuse for a run up the coast!

everytime i look at this thred someones posted in it its so hard to keep up!

from the top


Anniesland Court is pure concrete. None of the tacky plastic fixings going on there its just really clean... heres a closer shot so you can see:
http://www.wikimapia.org/p/00/00/07/88/49_big.jpg
and the thing in the background of the pic I think is probably the Dump/Recycling centre

"One of DOCOMOMO's "Sixty Key Monuments" of Scotland from 1993/94, don't you know!"

no i didnt know :o ! out of all the tower blocks in Scotland, wonder why that one made it on the list... suppose its the irony of Aberdeen being the "Granite City" and the things being concrete and that... and cos its right on the sea... but i think if one has to go and see a tower block, one must go to Red Road! Been up there a twice. once when i was wee and visiting a distant relation but i didnt have the maturity to really relish my surroundings. went back again last summer when i was urban exploring Sighthill. Seen red Road in the distance and couldnt resist! Didnt manage to get in tho. Concierge staff didnt understand my passion lol but just hanging around outside its breath taking. just everywhere you look are these massive metal (they're not concrete on the outside) towers and if i was a few decades older i might have had a heart attack! its so beautiful in an artistic sense.

http://www.wikimapia.org/p/00/00/07/00/91_big.jpg

http://www.wikimapia.org/p/00/00/07/64/57_big.jpg

http://www.wikimapia.org/p/00/00/07/45/34_big.jpg

and on Anglesey, its a real midget block! but whatever turns you guys on i guess :hahaha: but what exactly would qualify as a tower block? that thing looks about 4 storeys tall! like this midget:

http://www.wikimapia.org/p/00/00/07/06/97_big.jpg

And this is the one I meant, to the same scale as yours so you can work out the size.

Like I said, not sure if it is housing. It'd a bugger to photograph as it's on a narrow twisty road and surrounded by trees, which is why I haven't. Although it might be possible from the Bangor side of the water, as it's directly opposite Bangor pier. Sounds like a good excuse for a run up the coast!

Off you trot then, no time to waste! :happy: ;)

That block looks really big - are you sure it's not a(n) hotel? It looks a bit big to be private housing in a tiny town/village. Still great though! Must do some more research to find info and pics.

Anniesland Court is pure concrete. None of the tacky plastic fixings going on there its just really clean

It actually looks a bit older in the picture you just posted than it did in the first one I posted where it looked bang up to date. Still, it's pleasant on the eye. :yes:

but i think if one has to go and see a tower block, one must go to Red Road! Been up there a twice. once when i was wee and visiting a distant relation but i didnt have the maturity to really relish my surroundings. went back again last summer when i was urban exploring Sighthill. Seen red Road in the distance and couldnt resist! Didnt manage to get in tho. Concierge staff didnt understand my passion lol but just hanging around outside its breath taking. just everywhere you look are these massive metal (they're not concrete on the outside) towers and if i was a few decades older i might have had a heart attack! its so beautiful in an artistic sense.

True true true. Although I've only ever seen Red Road from a distance off the M8. If I hadn't have been with other people in the car at the time I would have been lured by the blocks calling my name... :lol:

and on Anglesey, its a real midget block! but whatever turns you guys on i guess :hahaha: but what exactly would qualify as a tower block? that thing looks about 4 storeys tall!

Oi! :nono:

Yeah it's tiny, but it's on a largely uninhabited island so is excused! It looks different to most low rise blocks as it has a typical tower block look to it for some reason.

Just because your local city has the biggest and best tower blocks... :tongue: ;)

I never get bored of seeing the Red Road tower blocks. Especially close-ups of the exterior. I wonder why this construction method of metal on the outside has not been repeated elsewhere. It was probably even cheaper than concrete and easier to assemble.

"Just because your local city has the biggest and best tower blocks... "

lmao get it up ye! Anglesey erm tower block (cant say that with a straight face!) ok! ok! its a... block... bet ya there are a few of them out in somewhere like Wick or sumthing. Im off to the islands to find a tower block on an island...

*searches*

*searches*

*searches*

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/176/440792757_022967aa84.jpg?v=0

ah fuck nothing here...

:hahaha:

found some mint Glasgow pics when i was looking though. Posted them on the Glasgow Tower Blocks forum. check em out.

and to the tigers bloke, i dunno why they didnt use steel on other blocks. Red road was only fully completed in 1972 which was around the time when tower block building was grinding to a halt so i guess the opportunity to use steel didnt arise. And also the Red Road was built to be the flagship of high rise Glasgow and had a long term future. Other blocks, the council knew, were just a short term fix for overcrowding. The steel panels were used so that they could be taken off and replaced by another panel of a different colour or design so their style wouldnt go out of date and maintainence would be fairly easy.

The London photos posted above in link form - Chalcotts, AMpthill and Westbury are some of my favourite London towers.

Chalcotts it's the setting, they're all along a lovely leafy road and set back among greenery and it isn't at all threatening like big estates often are. Relatively good looking towers too although they are being refurbed, probably badly.

Ampthill because they're so colourful and you can see them from the Heath.

Westbury just for the design of the towers, absolutely my favourite design seen in London apart, maybe from Trellick.

That French tower block is purely ace, more gallic monsters pls

edit

bet ya there are a few of them out in somewhere like Wick or sumthing. Im off to the islands to find a tower block on an island...

*searches*

*searches*

*searches*

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/176/440792757_022967aa84.jpg?v=0

ah fuck nothing here...

I'm sorry but:

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :rofl: :lol: :rofl:

That reeeaaalllllly made me lol!!!!

We must try and find some grime way up in Wick or Thurso! I saw some etched graffiti on the railings of a bridge in Ullapool when I was in that area in 2003 if that counts... :lol: but :nono: ;)

The steel panels were used so that they could be taken off and replaced by another panel of a different colour or design so their style wouldnt go out of date and maintainence would be fairly easy.

Is that true or have you just made that up? :?

no i didnt know :o ! out of all the tower blocks in Scotland, wonder why that one made it on the list...

There were quite a few on the list, including Red Road, Crathie Drive, Leith Fort and Queen Elizabeth Square to name but four.

(they're not concrete on the outside)

They aint concrete at all!! :)

i dunno why they didnt use steel on other blocks. Red road was only fully completed in 1972 which was around the time when tower block building was grinding to a halt so i guess the opportunity to use steel didnt arise. And also the Red Road was built to be the flagship of high rise Glasgow and had a long term future. Other blocks, the council knew, were just a short term fix for overcrowding. The steel panels were used so that they could be taken off and replaced by another panel of a different colour or design so their style wouldnt go out of date and maintainence would be fairly easy.

It's a very long, complex story which I'm not going to relay to you here, but Red Road is unique. It was initially to do with Sam Bunton trying to take on the likes of Crudens and Wimpey at their own game, but it all changed due to numerous factors, including pressure from the local steel industry and problems with the site. The blocks are steel framed, and were initially clad with timber framed asbestos panels. There was talk of 45 storey towers too. The scheme was finished in 1969 according to my records.

Off you trot then, no time to waste! :happy: ;)

That block looks really big - are you sure it's not a(n) hotel? It looks a bit big to be private housing in a tiny town/village. Still great though! Must do some more research to find info and pics.

Don't look like no hotel - it could be student halls or something. I wouldn't have thought it was housing either, but you never know. I'm still investigating.

Won't be able to get up there for a few weeks I wouldn't have thought - it can go on the ever-growing list

Don't look like no hotel - it could be student halls or something. I wouldn't have thought it was housing either, but you never know. I'm still investigating.

Won't be able to get up there for a few weeks I wouldn't have thought - it can go on the ever-growing list

Student halls? If it is they're mighty lucky having views over the Menai Strait and beyond to Snowdonia. Well, whoever it is who lives/works there is lucky.

And don't worry about going to investigate, we're in no rush on this thread. Sometimes the anticipation is greater than the result. :lol:

Nice info Borras ;) I have ten days to write an essay on this and I'm still getting new facts to cram in. Hell, I could get a doctorate in modern Glaswegian housing for the effort Ive put in! I think I was reading an old forum a couple of months ago while i was :lurker: and some guy said he was involved in Red Road's construction and said something about the way the exterior was designed to be replaced easily so the blocks could move with the times. I guess it must have worked alright if they managed to replace the asbestos with corrugated steel in a couple of months. cor! but 45 storey tower blocks in Britain! we're dealing with a higher power here lads... :lol:

"We must try and find some grime way up in Wick or Thurso! I saw some etched graffiti on the railings of a bridge in Ullapool when I was in that area in 2003"

woah! sounds like a real ghetto there Butterfield! Hope you didnt encounter any highlanders with plastic knives... Jeez! rough neighbourhood Ullapool is :rofl: And checking in my "Gaelic Made Easy" pamphlet, there is no translation for the word 'grime' into Gaelic. Probably because there is none up north... But good luck finding some :) Isle of Arran Young Derry on yer case 2k7 lol

:lol: :lol:

You've certainly brightened up this thread since you joined, although we were just fine beforehand of course. :yes: :| ;)

yeah erm whatever man... *blushes* :D i like to think its my wiity, off-beat sense of humour, or maybe even my vast array of useless-to-everyone-else-but-me facts and figures.... But I'd hate to think you guys are just using me for the pictures I post... :sly: say it isnt so! :ohno:

:okay:

:lol:

Oh it's a bit of both, you're witty and have endless useless information. ;)

But yes, you post great pictures but I'm sure if we searched the internet long enough we'd find the same ones. :tongue2:

But don't worry, we all steal photos from other sites, you've dug up some great ones though. :yes:

Watford revisited....

Sorry it took a while, I've been sunning myself in Devon :) (seriously, it was like summer!) but here's some closer shots of Watford's pair of tower blocks, the Meriden Estate -

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/189/472728492_c82091329b_b.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/217/472728534_5eee1b54d7_b.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/171/472728542_59bbca7245_b.jpg

We do have a couple of others, but technically they're not tower blocks, one is an office block above the station and the other is the YMCA building. I will happily take pics if anyone's interested! (I guess the YMCA building at least partly counts as residential!)

Good work supermoving. The graduating panels are interesting. Any news on the ones the other side of the M1? If you don't ask...:)

Spot any in Devon?

I've just driven to Liverpool and back tonight for a gig, and there was quite a few visible from the M53, although unfortunately they all seem to have been given the multicoloured swapshop treatment. There was one directly ahead of us as we entered the Wallasey tunnel, and spotted the tops of some Everton ones as I went around the loop on the tunnel exit. They're all aready on my list!

I'm off to Cumbria this weekend, and I'll be driving alone, so a few detours off the M6 might be in the offing. Watch this space!

And yes, I'd love to see the other buildings in Watford. Is there another thread you could use?

Thanks supermoving for your photos! :happy:

Those blocks look rather pleasant. So often you see distant shots with blocks looking okay but on closer inspection they look in a bad way (Red Road in Glasgow for example), but these blocks in Watford looked good from a distance on your last photos and also look in great condition closer up. Don't know how true that really is though, if they're that nice in real life. :dunno:

They also look a newer design than some of the concrete ones, maybe they're closer to the 1970s than most other blocks. :dunno: (again)

I first thought there were three blocks with one in the middle behind, but realised that that's actually part of the left hand one - strange!

And yes, those other buildings in Watford are welcome although if you take enough photos you could start your own Watford thread! :yes:


I've just driven to Liverpool and back tonight for a gig, and there was quite a few visable from the M53, although unfortunately they all seem to have been given the multicoloured swapshop treatment. There was one directly ahead of us as we entered the Wallasey tunnel, and spotted the tops of some Everton ones as I went around the loop on the tunnel exit. They're all aready on my list!

Sounds good! I found a photo of some blue Wirral monsters I will post on here soon.

I'm off to Cumbria this weekend, and I'll be driving alone, so a few detours off the M6 might be in the offing. Watch this space!


I love Cumbria, or the Lake District specifically, so I'm quite jealous. Especially seeing as I could have been going this weekend but the person I'm going with hadn't got time so we're going another time. :bash: Is it a holiday of sorts or work?

Kendal and Keswick have some questionable buildings with mountains in the background, and Windermere has some kerazy 60s terraced houses with steps going up the front of each one in a long row! :eek: I was quite shocked when I saw them.

EDIT: Try stopping off at Lancaster. Tower blocks and churches and dome things - a good combination. :yes: And there's a tower block in Morecambe on the promenade thang - or at least there was in 1998 when we drove through. But it probably wouldn't be to your taste. ;)

Sounds good! I found a photo of some blue Wirral monsters I will post on here soon.

Never put off 'til tomorrow...etc etc

I love Cumbria, or the Lake District specifically, so I'm quite jealous. Especially seeing as I could have been going this weekend but the person I'm going with hadn't got time so we're going another time. :bash: Is it a holiday of sorts or work?

It's a holiday - batteries need recharging. Not going to the Lake District though, I'll be on the coast up near Whitehaven. I may come back with 3 legs!

Kendal and Keswick have some questionable buildings with mountains in the background, and Windermere has some kerazy 60s terraced houses with steps going up the front of each one in a long row! :eek: I was quite shocked when I saw them.

I like the sound of those. I'll have to see how I'm off for time

EDIT: Try stopping off at Lancaster. Tower blocks and churches and dome things - a good combination. :yes: And there's a tower block in Morecambe on the promenade thang - or at least there was in 1998 when we drove through. But it probably wouldn't be to your taste. ;)

I was planning on Lancaster, I've seen pics but want my own. Why not, little hat on top? :ohno:

Never put off 'til tomorrow...etc etc

Not sure what you'll make of them, they're a bit of both. Don't know if this address makes any sense - Fender View Road, Moreton, near to Bidston Hill, Wirral :dunno:
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photos/07/80/078067_454baf6e.jpg

And: New Chester Road, New Ferry, near to Rock Ferry, Wirral. I'm sure you'll just love the hat on this one.
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photos/31/48/314877_4e19b7f9.jpg

It's a holiday - batteries need recharging. Not going to the Lake District though, I'll be on the coast up near Whitehaven. I may come back with 3 legs!

I've been to Whitehaven once - there's a nice harbour if I remember rightly but didn't see very much of it. A growing touristy place apparently. :yes:

I was planning on Lancaster, I've seen pics but want my own. Why not, little hat on top? :ohno:

I can't really remember the Morecambe tower block, I think it was brown and rather bland. If I remember rightly, Lancaster has some very balcony-y tower blocks. ...That looks Welsh. :|

Preston also has a stack of blocks apparently.

Here's another selection!

Tower blocks in Worcester. I'm sure there's three blocks though. One is called Elgar House after a local famous person or something... :| Seen these in real life lots of times.
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photos/08/68/086801_0214ada4.jpg

View from Torpoint, Cornwall to Devonport, Plymouth. Spot the real reason this photo was taken...
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photos/34/77/347767_2ec11f14.jpg

Littlemore Flats, Oldham
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photos/30/57/305734_71e6421a.jpg

Mount Street Flats, Sheffield. Don't know when this was taken.
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photos/35/70/357004_d7f42b14.jpg

S****horpe, Lincolnshire. Seen these in real life, love how they're lined up!
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photos/01/10/011053_fa69e997.jpg

Calderwood, East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, Glasgowshire. These look great!
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photos/11/81/118127_cb346eca.jpg

A low rise high rise in Stevenage, Hertfordshire
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photos/08/56/085622_2c109dbd.jpg

Beasties in Ibrox, Glasgow
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photos/02/14/021487_40398174.jpg

It's those Bradford blocks again. The caption reads: "Flats off Manchester Road, Bradford. Taken from Park Road, showing usage of sun and wind power for the flats."
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photos/39/19/391931_29255a76.jpg

Pontefract, Yorkshire - a new entry on this thread, didn't even know there were tower blocks here! :cheer:
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photos/24/65/246526_48aa4015.jpg

Fareham, Hampshire
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photos/29/79/297944_001324e3.jpg

Something lovely is poking through those trees in Clackmannan, Clackmannnnaannnnnnnshire, Scotland
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photos/18/90/189024_d7ccae15.jpg

Oh deary me... Oxgangs (great name), Edinburgh :( Note the castle-like flats/tenements at the bottom of the picture!
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photos/12/70/127086_199f7194.jpg

Bradford again - just look at those solar panels on the top! :eek:
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photos/39/73/397384_1d123db7.jpg

The return of a forumer favourite - the smallest town with tower blocks - Kincardine, Somewhereshire, Scotland :drool:
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photos/22/93/229369_0c71fb05.jpg

The return of the Quarry Hill Flats, Leeds. Built in 1935 (an early example), demolished in 1973 (an early example). Gone long before most of us were even born. :(
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photos/36/02/360295_adab53d7.jpg

Sherwood Station(?), Nottingham
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photos/08/78/087835_8a833df5.jpg

Fulham, Londonshire. Nice shape :yes:
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photos/03/52/035202_9466e1b6.jpg

Seaton, Aberdeen. The most northern tower blocks in the UK?
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photos/10/12/101214_afe2382c.jpg

Feltham, Hounslow - tower blocks in a field! :lol:
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photos/10/89/108918_641b2eaf.jpg

Stannington, West Sheffield. Great picture - tower blocks on hills = :happy:
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photos/17/00/170048_fe90ced5.jpg

Poole, Dorset! :pepper:
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photos/26/14/261477_0616b9ee.jpg

And finally, another contender for smallest town with tower blocks - Larne in Northern Ireland, 20ish miles north of Belfast!! :eek: :happy: :pepper:

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photos/14/89/148994_3e81c135.jpg

This thread is full of coincidences for me, I stayed in the Lake District a couple of weeks ago, in Kendal, I know what you mean about the questionable buildings Butterfield, didn't really like Kendal very much, but Lake Windermere and Ambleside are lovely! More coincidences, I was in Stevenage yesterday, and Poole last week, must remember to take my camera on work trips from now on...! Especially as I've found out this morning I have to go to a meeting in New Jersey next week, I'm currently trying to wrangle some extra time for a quick trip round NYC!! :banana:

I will also try and sort out some more Watford building photos and maybe start Watford thread. I really don't know very much about the tower blocks I posted pictures of, but will find out!

They are the same ones as in my pics from the M1 flyover, but I checked on my way up to Stevenage yesterday, they can't be seen from the Northbound carriageway as the embankment is too high, and they be seen only very briefly from the Southbound carriageway about halfway between Junctions 6 & 5.

^^

Yeah, what a lot of coincidences! I've only driven through Kendal twice and to me it just felt like a normal but nice town, but not nice enough to get out and have a walk round when you have the likes of Ambleside and Grasmere up the road!

If you haven't been to NYC before you must go. We stayed just over the border in New Jersey because it was cheaper but the bus journey in and out was a bit of a hassle. Although that way you get to see some of the sights that most tourists won't see (like 3 brown tower blocks in Paterson :D).

So, you're going next week? Have a great time and don't forget to take your camera!

^^
Yes, looks like I'll be over there for a couple of days week, I'll be staying in New Jersey but hopefully I'll manage to squeeze in at least a quick trip around NYC!

And I'll definitely be taking my camera!!:lol:

Well have a nice time and tell us about it when you're back! :yes:

I'm still trying to figure out this Watford block, whether it's another block behind or a bit stuck on the side. :nuts:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/217/472728534_5eee1b54d7_b.jpg

Does this answer your question?

http://lluniau.simonjones.org/ssc/watford_01.jpg

Oh! :eek:

They're twice the size than I thought!

I've got a stat for you.

Liverpool only built 71 tower blocks, which compared to the 30-odd built in Castle Vale and 400 for Birmingham as a whole, is really a small number.

This statistic has been bothering me for a while. I'm not sure about the final total, but this paragraph from Liverpool Builds, which was published in 1967, seems to suggest this figure isn't entirely correct:-

By the end of 1965 no less than 79 blocks of multi-storey dwellings containing in all 5,684 flats had been completed both within the city and beyond the city at Kirkby, Huyton, Halewood, etc., whilst a further 29 such blocks containing 2,573 dwellings were under construction. Thus during the period since the first multi-storey block of dwellings was completed in 1956, approximately 25% of the total dwellings produced up to the end of 1965 were in blocks of ten-storeys or above.

Now, hands up, who wants some of the pictures from this book? There's a belting one looking from the near Canterbury Heights (one of The Piggeries) over towards The Braddocks and beyond.

Good work overnight Butterfield, you've been a busy bee!

Now, hands up, who wants some of the pictures from this book?

Me me me!!!! :happy:

Good work overnight Butterfield, you've been a busy bee!

I've been wanting to post all those for a while now so just got on and did it. :yes:

Ok, I'll see if I can get the book to the copier without anyone seeing.

UPDATE!! Dilwyn was in the office earlier. He's from Bangor, and I asked him about that building. He said it was private apartments that go for a fortune, but he couldn't recall the name. Anyway, I had a look on Rightmove.

I give you Glyn Garth Court!

http://img.findaproperty.com/reedsrains/bangor/p1853941.jpg

One of the blocks in Blacon, Chester, is called Glyn Garth. They, however, don't go for a fortune!

cor! tower block overload! dont think you left a single region of the country untouched there Butterfield. some real crackers except this unfortunate refurb :ohno:

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photos/31/48/314877_4e19b7f9.jpg

the hat makes it look like a garden gnome! you just cant take it seriously. The residents must have the burden of shame...

UPDATE!! Dilwyn was in the office earlier. He's from Bangor, and I asked him about that building. He said it was private apartments that go for a fortune, but he couldn't recall the name. Anyway, I had a look on Rightmove.

I give you Glyn Garth Court!

http://img.findaproperty.com/reedsrains/bangor/p1853941.jpg


Oh wow! :happy: Well done on your investigating! :okay:

So, they're "appartments", and quite rightly so. They're borderline art-decoish aren't they?

cor! tower block overload! dont think you left a single region of the country untouched there Butterfield.


I like to keep my regional punters happy. :yes:

http://img.findaproperty.com/reedsrains/bangor/p1853941.jpg

So is that the mystery of the great island block solved then? It looks nicer than I thought from the aerial shots. Any idea when it was built?

Okay, according to the website that the flat is for sale on, it's "leasehold 999 years from 1965", so, I reckon it was built in 1965 :)

It certainly doesn't look Art Deco-ish from the back from what I can recall.

If you're interested, there's a 3 bed flat in there on the first floor, on the market for £300,000. You can see it here (http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-14768156.rsp?pa_n=1&tr_t=buy).

Look at the view
http://images.primelocation.com/REEDGR/images/RRAE999000318B.JPG

http://images.primelocation.com/REEDGR/images/RRAE999000318C.JPG

I want to live there, I've decided. Might have to do a bit of saving first though! :)

Ok, here are some scans from Liverpool Builds. I'll use the captions from the book:-

William Henry Street Area - Canterbury Heights
http://lluniau.simonjones.org/ssc/liverpool_01.jpg

Coronation Court, Sparrow Hall
http://lluniau.simonjones.org/ssc/liverpool_02.jpg

Kennedy Heights, Everton
http://lluniau.simonjones.org/ssc/liverpool_03.jpg

The Braddocks, Everton
http://lluniau.simonjones.org/ssc/liverpool_04.jpg

Multi-storey blocks, Sefton Park
http://lluniau.simonjones.org/ssc/liverpool_05.jpg

Sheehan Heights, Cranmer Street/Boundary Street
http://lluniau.simonjones.org/ssc/liverpool_06.jpg

Multi-storey Flats, Sefton Park
http://lluniau.simonjones.org/ssc/liverpool_07.jpg

Aerial View, multi-storey blocks, Sefton Park
http://lluniau.simonjones.org/ssc/liverpool_08.jpg

Logan Towers (Camus construction)
http://lluniau.simonjones.org/ssc/liverpool_09.jpg

Entwistle Heights
http://lluniau.simonjones.org/ssc/liverpool_10.jpg

Woww. Some proper old skool blocks there. I love this one especially:

http://lluniau.simonjones.org/ssc/liverpool_08.jpg

This one looks more like offices than residential
http://lluniau.simonjones.org/ssc/liverpool_10.jpg

Some pics i found of Glasgow
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q95/The_Talking_orange/Glasgow7.jpg
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q95/The_Talking_orange/Glasgow6.jpg
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q95/The_Talking_orange/Glasgow5.jpg
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q95/The_Talking_orange/Glasgow4.jpg
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q95/The_Talking_orange/Glasgow3.jpg
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q95/The_Talking_orange/Glasgow2.jpg
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q95/The_Talking_orange/Glasgow.jpg

edit

http://lluniau.simonjones.org/ssc/liverpool_01.jpg

http://lluniau.simonjones.org/ssc/liverpool_02.jpg

lovin' these! Nice and dense. are they still standing?

mr B - Like a few of those pics there. Especially the ones of Wyndford at Christmas time. Snow makes everything look so damn sexy :lol:

Druids heath, Brimingham. Looks liek a really nice area:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/79/209437517_4b957a97f9_o.jpg

Does this answer your question?

http://lluniau.simonjones.org/ssc/watford_01.jpg

Well I've lived here in Watford over 10 years now and I'd never noticed that!!
:omg: :omg:

Mind you, it's not an area I go to very often...other than for SSC photo assignments! :)

[IMG]lovin' these! Nice and dense. are they still standing?

In a word, no. All the Everton ones are gone, most of them in the late 1980s, as is Coronation Court, which is regarded as Liverpool's first multi-storey block.

Have a look here (http://pic7.piczo.com/inacityliving/?g=33776503) and here (http://www.doylesdemolition.co.uk/demo.html).

Well I've lived here in Watford over 10 years now and I'd never noticed that!!
:omg: :omg:

Mind you, it's not an area I go to very often...other than for SSC photo assignments! :)

I've seen things round here I've never noticed before just by heading out with the camera for this thread. It's an education, if nothing else!

I've seen things round here I've never noticed before just by heading out with the camera for this thread. It's an education, if nothing else!

Seems I'm heading down the same path, I'm looking forward to it :)

Okay, according to the website that the flat is for sale on, it's "leasehold 999 years from 1965", so, I reckon it was built in 1965 :)

It certainly doesn't look Art Deco-ish from the back from what I can recall.

If you're interested, there's a 3 bed flat in there on the first floor, on the market for £300,000. You can see it here (http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-14768156.rsp?pa_n=1&tr_t=buy).

Look at the view
http://images.primelocation.com/REEDGR/images/RRAE999000318B.JPG

http://images.primelocation.com/REEDGR/images/RRAE999000318C.JPG

I want to live there, I've decided. Might have to do a bit of saving first though! :)

Those views are stunning. It's not quite a tower block as such but a lovely 1960s apartment block.
The apartments certainly aren't at tower block prices!

Druids heath, Brimingham. Looks liek a really nice area:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/79/209437517_4b957a97f9_o.jpg

I love that photo, it's taken by someone in the Birmingham forum!
Druid's Heath really is great - so many identical blocks in one area all on the edge of Birmingham by the countryside.

Here's are some closer photos of said blocks, taken by Grendel - another Brum forumer.
I think there's around 15 of these blocks in total, the whole estate being built in the 1960s on fields formerly in Worcestershire.
It's a great example of overspill, or an expanding city. :yes:

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-10/847076/Druids1.jpg

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-10/847076/Druids3.jpg

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-10/847076/Druids2.jpg

These blocks by Fort Dunlop are the same design as the ones in Druid's Heath but on the opposite side of Brum,
to the north east of the city rather than the south where Druid's Heath is. You can see them from the M6.

(courtesy of Smileyface)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v173/Robdann/Tower%20Blocks%203/Bromford2ndDec0624.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v173/Robdann/Tower%20Blocks%203/Bromford2ndDec0612.jpg

Don't know if this address makes any sense - Fender View Road, Moreton, near to Bidston Hill, Wirral :dunno:

And: New Chester Road, New Ferry, near to Rock Ferry, Wirral. I'm sure you'll just love the hat on this one.

I can't really remember the Morecambe tower block, I think it was brown and rather bland. If I remember rightly, Lancaster has some very balcony-y tower blocks. ...That looks Welsh. :|

Preston also has a stack of blocks apparently.

Think I saw the first ones, although I drove down New Chester Road and didn't spot that one. It was dark though, and I was tonking it a bit.

I've posted pics of Avenham Flats in Preston earlier on. Not sure whether to look for more, I've a vague recollection of where there are more, but I haven't been there for nearly 10 years now, so it's probably all changed.

What looks Welsh?

What looks Welsh?

"Balcony-y tower blocks"

...forget it. :bash:

Nice pics there guys. Loving Druid's Heath blocks!

I've also posted some new pics on the Glasgow tower Blocks thread if you want a wee look.

Just uploading some stuff to Flickr and it turns out I did take a pic in Kendal after all, it's from my hotel room, across the river towards a couple of old buildings and a couple of not so old office blocks slap bang in the middle...!

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/170/474420872_332b2be54a_b.jpg

I was also tempted to try and find out what's in the tunnel leading off at the side of the bridge, but didn't have time, that'd be one for subbrit rather than SSC anyway :lol:

Wow! :eek: :eek: That is quite a(n) horrific building! And to think it's in Kendal of all places. An ugly city-type building in a rural market town - nice contrast. :yes: Thanks for that supermoving!! :happy:

^^ Horrific is the word, it sticks out like a sore thumb :ohno:

On a brighter note, I posted this one on the Brighton thread, but thought I'd give it an airing here too

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/152/427123321_e905a82f1c_b.jpg

(is double posting allowed? Apologies if not, let me know and I'll remove it!)

Sweet Taloula, how tall is that?

Pics taken today from my student halls in Leeds. Apologies for the quality in the last few the window was covered in rain marks and the sun was blinding.

Marlborough Tower
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w222/stefan_long18/Picture005.jpg

Not sure what these are called but theres a nice little cluster of them.
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w222/stefan_long18/Picture009.jpg

Group of 4
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w222/stefan_long18/Picture010.jpg

Cottingley Blocks (both 25 storeys)
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w222/stefan_long18/Picture011.jpg

2 block to the right and the recently completed BWP.
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w222/stefan_long18/Picture008.jpg

Sweet Taloula, how tall is that?


I think thats Sussex Heights, 102 metres.

Stef that's a great view! How high up were you? Is that your room??

The first picture is taken from my room. The blurry ones were taken from my living room window and the last one was taken from the hallway window. Im on the top floor of my halls (13th floor) so I get a pretty good view.

^^

W-ow!! :eek:

I think I'd just say in there all day looking out of the window. :yes:

That French tower block is purely ace, more gallic monsters pls

Well, here are another two pics of it :
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y135/Guillaume44/2007_0212Image016.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y135/Guillaume44/2007_0212Image019.jpg

You can see a load more pics of this building in this thread : http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=441374

Here are some pics of giant 1970's tower blocks in the 13th arrondissement of Paris.
These pics are not mine, they were taken by various SSC forumers :

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/Aguirre44/13-5.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/Aguirre44/13-8.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/Aguirre44/13-2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/Aguirre44/13-3.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/Aguirre44/13-1.jpg

These towers (35 to 39 floors) are mainly inhabited by asian people (vietnamese, chinese, cambodian, etc...) : it's the Paris' chinatown.

red road is not worthy :ohno:

:okay: they look absolutely awesome though! GM, our french correspondant :) we demand more French... for want of a better word, buildings (doesnt do them justice...). Any more like that? Thats going on my desktop. I love it.

Just out of interest, what do you think of our Red Road blocks? are they on par with some of the blocks in France?

Just out of interest, what do you think of our Red Road blocks? are they on par with some of the blocks in France?

Red Road blocks are amazing... Actually, I'm a true fan of all these Glasgow tower blocks since years (since I saw a movie taking place in Glasgow : "Small faces", and some TV documentary about Glasgow).
It's a shame that Glasgow is knocking down all its impressive tower blocks ! I must ABSOLUTELY take a trip to Scotland before there aren't any tower block left.

Wow! Those blocks put some of ours to shame. Thanks GM. :yes:

They make Red Road look like tiny models compared to them. SWEET!!!

Red Road blocks are amazing... Actually, I'm a true fan of all these Glasgow tower blocks since years (since I saw a movie taking place in Glasgow : "Small faces", and some TV documentary about Glasgow).
It's a shame that Glasgow is knocking down all its impressive tower blocks ! I must ABSOLUTELY take a trip to Scotland before there aren't any tower block left.

I'm glad you want to come here, You should take a while so that you can get around a lot of te city.:)

So... is there any association or lobby struggling for saving the scottish tower blocks ? Or are Red Road, Gallowgate, etc... definitely doomed ?


An interlude : tower blocks by the sea, in Toulon, southern France (spot the palm trees) :
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/Aguirre44/toulon.jpg
Pic is not mine, so credit to the author.

Coming soon : other pics of the giant Paris 13th's tower blocks.

^^^ jesus christ! im jealous of Frence's blocks now. I thought that Glasgow and London had tall blocks but these ones put ours in the shade. they are taller, bigger, better designed and look in decent nick an' all.

Very few people in Scotland are for saving the tower blocks let alone a whole association. Ours are not very well built and some, like the 3 at Cranhill will actually be structurally unfit for habitation in a few years time. Not to mention problems with: damp; dodgy lifts; being near derelict; bad neighbours; (GHA to blame there) as well as the stigma and bad press surrounding the flats... Just too many problems to sort out. Might as well start from scratch. Although I personally feel it is a shame. They are a big part of the city I've grown up in and now whole areas are being redeveloped beyond recognition :ohno: as well as the ever decreasing Weegie skyline which is probably the busiest in the UK at this moment in time. In twenty years there won't be much to look at. So depressing :( :( :( Red Road is condemned. it aint gonna be saved. Petershill Court already has a demolition date (2009) and once that one has gone the rest should be gone within 2 or 3 years. Gallowgate is unoffically doomed. Maybe there is hope that they might stay up but i'd say it'll be unlikely given that developers are itching to be let loose on the inner East End with the Commonwealth Games village being built in Dalmarnock. a select few are staying up with extensive refurbishment but most are getting blowen up. regeneration sucks cock sometimes.

^^

I'm sure it does. :|

Well Mr Schemie, get yourself a cheap digital camera and get out there and take lots of photos before they all come a-tumbling down! That way, we can show future generations what Glasgow was like back in tha day. I'm so pleased we have a few original 1960s photos like the ones of Liverpool that were posted the other day. At least these days any of us can take photos and post them on here and that way the photos should last even longer.

I want to see more of small-town Johnstone or wherever it is near Paisley you live! :yes:

pfffft! We only have like 2 proper tower blocks left! We used to have loads of mini blocks but they were all kncked down 2 or 3 year ago. Still, from 12:30pm on the 18th of May 2007, i'll have all the free time in the world so I'll hit the entire West of Scotland. That'll give my idle arse something to do :lol: Those Liverpool blocks must have had a really short lifespan though. Up in the 60s down by the 90s? If your gonna build something you might as well keep it up! Speaking of short lifespans, I am a big fan of the Hulme crescents in Manchester... if only I could see some photos... *HINT* *HINT*

The entire West of Scotland?? From Stranraer to Durness?? :eek: Or do you mean the entire West of Glasgow? :? Sounds great whatever. :happy:

I think the Hulme crescents are deep in this thread somewhere, but if you look on the Manchester sub forum there's a thread that has loads of pics of them but I can't remember the name of the thread. Use the search function, or just look on Flickr. :yes:

"The entire West of Scotland?? From Stranraer to Durness??"

yeah! theres no tower blocks I know of in the whole of the west of scotland once you get outside the Strathclyde region. Even Stirling, which is a city doesnt even have any. So basically Glasgow, Johnstone, Linwood, Paisley, East Kilbride, Cumbernauld, Coatbridge, Airdrie, Falkirk, Drumgelloch, Clydebank, Dumbarton, Gourock, Port Glasgow and Greenock. Some of those areas I go to anyway to see mates and that so its no inconvienience :)

I found the Hulme thread! They look horrifically trashed and unmaintained......


....

....FANTASTIC! :D

The blocks in Paris take the phrase "high rise flats" to a completely different level. The French beat us again hey lol.
Im definately going to visit Glasgow again before Gallowgate and Red Road and all the other tall blocks are gone. It'll be a sad day for many (us and the people who lived and enjoyed them) when they are demolished.
I would have Red Road and Gallowgate in Nottingham any day of the week just so I could look at them all the time.
Unfortunately we don't have many tall blocks left here. Im so pissed off that I can't find any pics of the 4 200ft beasts that were demolished and the towers that were behind Braidwood Court.
Went past Harehills in Leeds today on the bus and the blocks there are amazing. They are kind of perched on a hill so from a certain angle they look massive. Almost like a mini version of Red Road. I didn't have my camera with me though.
I'll try and attempt to get some pics but im not on that side of town much and I don't really know the area that well. Plus it's quite rough so I don't want to get mugged or anything.

The Paris blocks are awesome, Red Road is the only thing in the UK which compares.

Those Parisian blocks are the BOMB! They also appear quite tightly packed but i'm sure its just their height that gives off that illusion.

Here are some pics of giant 1970's tower blocks in the 13th arrondissement of Paris.
These towers (35 to 39 floors) are mainly inhabited by asian people (vietnamese, chinese, cambodian, etc...) : it's the Paris' chinatown.

I'm only counting 32 storeys maximum. Same as Red Road, yah?

Red Road is 31 storeys. The Sentinels in Birmingham are 32 storeys.

Obviously the Red Road blocks are a lot more impressive than the Sentinels as the Sentinels were built with simplicity of construction in mind and not quality of design so the council commissioned a local architectural firm to design them who had had no real experience with tower blocks, and certainly no experience on anything on this scale! :ohno:

^^ Who mentioned the Sentinels? :? ;)

Blindfold - seeing as you pop into this thread from time to time, does Australia have tower blocks as we know them? I've never seen any on TV programmes. I suppose with all the space, 1960s Australia didn't need them so much.

My brother is in Perth at the moment so I should just ask him but he thinks I'm weird enough as it is. :bash:

^^ Who mentioned the Sentinels? :? ;)

No one. You just asked if the Red Road blocks were the same as the one you just counted in Paris. And then I decided to waffle on (as I do) about the Sentinels.

Here's some old pics of some tower blocks in the Newtown area of Aston, Birmingham.

http://i.pbase.com/g4/86/127086/2/51875239.Newtown21.jpg
http://i.pbase.com/u21/beppuu/large/35086927.FarmStbench.jpg
http://k43.pbase.com/v3/86/127086/2/48284875.Newtown01.jpg
http://i.pbase.com/v3/86/127086/2/50034329.Newtowninrain1.jpg
http://i.pbase.com/v3/86/127086/2/48284877.Newtown03.jpg

On wikipedia it stateds the blocks in Paris are 102m, Red Road are only 90m. The sentinels are 90m as well. However Glasgow again takes the title of Tallest Tower blocks in the UK outside of London with The Whitevale and Bluevale Blocks at 91m.:naughty:

Well 90 metres was at the time of construction. They've added some weird feature to the top of the towers since which, by all possibilities, have bumped the height up to 91 metres :yes:. But that's wishful thinking on my part :|.

Here's the impressive Inkerman House in the Newtown area of South Aston, Birmingham:

http://www.emporis.com/files/transfer/sixwm/2006/07/476822.jpg
http://www.emporis.com/files/transfer/sixwm/2006/08/483316.jpg

ooooh I like, I like. The facade is nice with it blending away from pinkish to white.

Here is Motherwell in North Lanarkshire, near glasgow.


http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q95/The_Talking_orange/Motherwell3.jpg

Before Refurb

http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q95/The_Talking_orange/Motherwell4.jpg

During Refurb

http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q95/The_Talking_orange/Motherwell5.jpg

After Refurb

http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q95/The_Talking_orange/Motherwell.jpg
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q95/The_Talking_orange/Motherwell6.jpg

I liked it more pre-refurb :ohno:

i like Motherwell's blocks except the silly little targets on their heads... I blame William Tell....

Mr B! Just seen that you are from Cumbie! You have any pics from the blocks up there? My grandparents were offered a flat in one of the Cumbernauld blocks in the '60s, when Springburn was being flattened, but they chose to move to Johnstone instead. But i've never seen any blocks in Cumbernauld cos all my mates round there are posh and live in Westerwood :lol:

:dance:

i love that smiley :)

i like Motherwell's blocks except the silly little targets on their heads... I blame William Tell....

Mr B! Just seen that you are from Cumbie! You have any pics from the blocks up there? My grandparents were offered a flat in one of the Cumbernauld blocks in the '60s, when Springburn was being flattened, but they chose to move to Johnstone instead. But i've never seen any blocks in Cumbernauld cos all my mates round there are posh and live in Westerwood :lol:

:dance:


Oh my god I lived in Westerwood up until a few years ago. Kings View, do you know it. I will try and get some pics of tower blocks, they aint that far away from westerwood you know, just look over towards the hill behind the village. There is a 55 metre one and all the rest are 34 metres. Theres 12 in all

Found some on flickr:

http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q95/The_Talking_orange/cumbernauldflats.jpg
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q95/The_Talking_orange/cumbernauldflats3.jpg

The View from Westerwood.
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q95/The_Talking_orange/cumbernauldflats2.jpg

i've never seen any blocks in Cumbernauld

I have. :bowtie:

Saw a few brown blocks when driving past on the way to Inverness and beyond.

Wow Mr. B love those pics, especially the last one! :eek:

Thanks! If your ever driving in cumbernauld be sure to head along the Main road to the Town centre, it goes right past the Stuart House, the tallest block. Just noticed, they have an advert in the local paper for an appartment in Stuart House at £22k. Wouldn't mind that, must have fantastic views over to glasgow and Edinburgh. Also shall one day try to get the view of Red road from the West of Cumbie, look ace, extraordinarily dense.

Are those your own photos then?

That apartment in Stuart House is incredibly cheap! :eek: Flats in bad tower blocks in the Midlands are like at least twice that!

Na found them on Flickr.

:lol:

Oh well. That's what most of us do anyway. ;)

Thanks for the pics :) although they look very brown and drab. Like some of the blocks in the west end. Best seen at night eh? I've been to Westerwood twice. My mate lives on Gleneagles Avenue beside the golf course. If you are a man with a big fringe and a liking for emo rock music chances are you will probably have slept with her by now :lol: Its a gorgeous area. Although most of Cumbie is a mess apparently. I used to work with a self-proclaimed refugee from Abronhill! Found some great pics while I was checking the Glasgow photos forum for the Kingsway Court btw. Credit to Russel Davies

Anniesland Court:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v214/sax0vtr/Glasgow%20views/522778813924ffd0a76ff46c3832475c0ff.jpg

Townhead:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v214/sax0vtr/Glasgow%20views/45729822eeb7348068fd1df91d78dd08884.jpg

Ibroxholm:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v214/sax0vtr/Glasgow%20views/367.jpg

How awesome is this pic? :wow: I see Springburn, Sighthill, Knightswood, Anniesland Court, Edgefauld Road, Maryhill, Clydebank, Yoker, Broomhill, Gorbals, Ibroxholm Oval, Broomloan Court, Pollokshaws, Cardonald, Kennishead and the Gallowhill blocks in Paisley on the extreme right. Blimey... This would be great for the 'Your city in one pic' forum...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v214/sax0vtr/Glasgow%20views/panocopy.jpg

That last pic is amazing.

Oh by the way i'm an idiot, I just went to Tesco at Town Centre of Cumbernauld and forgot to take my camera. The light was perfect, the Tower blocks were lit up with an orangey Glow and so was the new Town Centre, quite nice. Would have made a nice pic. :bash:

I remember a couple of years ago my mum and dad spending a weekend in Glasgow and they stayed in a hotel in the Erskine area with fabulous views of Glasgows tower blocks. It must have been the hotel in that picture right close to the river. My dad said he was amazed by how many tower blocks there were on the skyline. It must have been a superb sight.

I'm back, but empty handed I'm afraid. I noted that block at the side of the M6 near Lancaster on the way up, but I was running late, so I thought I'd stop on the way back down to take some snaps.

So I pulled into Lancaster on the way back as planned - found one tower block, tried to get near it, and it turns out it's part of St. Martin's College, so not a tower block after all. Saw another one over the other side of town, but got stuck in the traffic in the centre and gave up. Tried to find the one at the side of the M6, but the satnav kept taking me onto the university campus, so I'm concluding that it's part of the university there. After nearly an hour of driving round, I bottomed the car out on some massive speed bumps, and decided I'd had enough and headed back to the M6 and home.

I can't remember, has anything from Lancaster on Flickr been posted on here already?

I've always wondered if any of my pictures on Flickr are ever posted on any forum anywhere. Hmmm

^^ I noticed the Lancaster blocks by the M6 on the way up to the Lake District but I'm almost certain they're part of the university campus as you say.

I know some of my Flickr pics have been used (credited to me) on blogs and online travel guides....that's the power of the internet! :)

Oh, and I absolutely NEED to go back to glasgow with camera, my Mum lives near Stirling, I'm up there quite a lot, but never remember the camera when I'm in Glasgow itself!

These are the closest I've managed, but I suppose they give an idea of scale and surroundings...

1 - From the path to Dumgoyne Hill
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/138/317940217_ea8967a594_b.jpg

2 - From the path to The Whangie (I kid you not!)
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/92/223890864_6458f487e8_b.jpg

(this one best viewed large here (http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=223890864&size=o&context=photostream) )

Nice photos supermoving. Man, I love Scotland. :happy: I think it was schemie who said that Stirling doesn't have any tower blocks - why is this I wonder? :?

I'm back, but empty handed I'm afraid. I noted that block at the side of the M6 near Lancaster on the way up, but I was running late, so I thought I'd stop on the way back down to take some snaps.

So I pulled into Lancaster on the way back as planned - found one tower block, tried to get near it, and it turns out it's part of St. Martin's College, so not a tower block after all. Saw another one over the other side of town, but got stuck in the traffic in the centre and gave up. Tried to find the one at the side of the M6, but the satnav kept taking me onto the university campus, so I'm concluding that it's part of the university there. After nearly an hour of driving round, I bottomed the car out on some massive speed bumps, and decided I'd had enough and headed back to the M6 and home.

I can't remember, has anything from Lancaster on Flickr been posted on here already?

I've always wondered if any of my pictures on Flickr are ever posted on any forum anywhere. Hmmm

Welcome back, hope you had a nice time in Cumbria. :)

Sounds like you had an eventful, or should that be uneventful drive home. You guys are getting a bit confused. Yes, there is a tower blocky thing right by the motorway on the university site but that wasn't what I was talking about. Somewhere in the town/city centre there is da real thing - honest! ...I think.

Plus, there's that exciting hexagonish bulilding by Lancaster Services on the M6! Such an iconic building!

Oh and here are two of the Lancaster blocks that I've posted before. I'm sure there are more blocks in Lancaster than this.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/69/219959527_336b67a12a_o.jpg

And the unmissable nearby Lancaster service station (aka Forton) tower which I think is welcome in this thread :yes:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/130/404991369_05ff429a92.jpg?v=0

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/59/215514093_63369c5119.jpg?v=0

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/118/252725257_1717ad0349.jpg?v=0

Well the one I saw that was on the other side of town was the same kind of finish as those 2 blocks in the photo - didn't look tall enough to sit in traffic for though. Serves me right for not researching locations first eh? Next time!

We can't have Forton on here - it deserves to be on the British Service Stations thread. Well it would do if there was one. Don't get me started on those, they're another of my weird obsessions.

Actually I was so annoyed at not finding tower blocks and bashing my car that I didn't even stop at Forton to take pictures as intended

Oh dear.

But start a service station thread and see what happens! It may turn out to be a success.

This is taken in Lancaster but it the picture won't show on here. http://www.flickr.com/photos/niagarekoja/412535958/

Look at this, on the right is the university tower. See what else you can spot...

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/49/153543813_96dc8a2125_o.jpg

I'm only counting 32 storeys maximum. Same as Red Road, yah?

The ones than you can see on the first pics I posted are actually 33 to 35 floors, according to emporis :
http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=touranc1-paris-france
http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=tourbologne-paris-france
http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=tourverdi-paris-france
etc... check emporis, there are tons of other pics of these buildings.

But there are actually dozens and dozens of giant tower blocks in this district of Paris (13th arrondissement), the highest being 38 floors.

Some other pics (they are not mine, so credit to the various authors) :

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/Aguirre44/13-9.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/Aguirre44/13-12.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/Aguirre44/13-4.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/Aguirre44/13-11.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/Aguirre44/13-10.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/Aguirre44/13-15.jpg

Hello l'effroyable and welcome! :wave:

Nice of you to make your first posts in this thread. :yes:

Thanks for your photos! I like the first blocks in your post - they are very big indeed. And you're right, Maidstone is a new entry in this thread - I haven't seen those blocks before! We've talked about those strange shaped blocks in Clapham before, I think they're a favourite on this thread.

To get your photos to show properly, put the address of each photo in between these and they should show.

Thanks for the welcome and for the picture-posting advice, Butterfield, I'll try to re-post these pics the proper way...

so.. let's try...

London august 2006:
Ampthill Square Estate, Euston:
http://img454.imageshack.us/img454/7...608110awc2.jpg

Chalcots Estate, Swiss Cottage, from Camden Town stables market:
http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/3...608121aco8.jpg

Westbury Estate in Clapham from the Eurostar:
http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/4...608138amm8.jpg
http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/5...608139asy0.jpg

Unidentified blocks around Stockwell/Brixton I think :
http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/2...608140ang0.jpg

Kent april 2007:
Maidstone, a new entry!
http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/256...dstoneabq3.jpg
http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/3...dstoneaci7.jpg

and finally Dover:
http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/1...8doverajy6.jpg

:ohno: :wtf:

xD unlucky mate! I love that photo that Butterfield just posted :) its like when i think of the English countryside, I think fields, a town in the distance and a wee road leading up to it so that photo is rural England for me. And Stirling doesnt have tower blocks cos basically, it doesnt need them. The population of the Scottish highlands is pretty sparse so cities like Inverness, Perth and Stirling don't have them.

Think the URL between the image tags is wrong. When I try to view them in the browser window, a load of dots come up as part of the file name.

Those ones in Paris sre growing on me, what a sight they must be, fantastic. I need to go to France, I like the Paris and Nantes tower blocks.

London august 2006:
Ampthill Square Estate, Euston:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/2006-08110a.jpg
Chalcots Estate, Swiss Cottage, from Camden Town stables market:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/2006-08121a.jpg
Westbury Estate in Clapham from the Eurostar:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/2006-08138a.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/2006-08139a.jpg
Unidentified blocks around Stockwell/Brixton I think :
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/2006-08140a.jpg
Kent april 2007:
Maidstone, a new entry! :banana:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/2007-04-1505-Maidstonea.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/2007-04-1506-Maidstonea.jpg
and finally Dover:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/2007-04-1508-Dovera.jpg

Those Liverpool blocks must have had a really short lifespan though. Up in the 60s down by the 90s? If your gonna build something you might as well keep it up! Speaking of short lifespans, I am a big fan of the Hulme crescents in Manchester... if only I could see some photos... *HINT* *HINT*

Alas, no. Canterbury Heights (first photo, far right) along with the two blocks that stood behind it (Haigh Heights and Crosbie Heights - these three were known as The Piggeries) were demolished in 1987, despite only being built in 1965 (Canterbury) and 1966 (Haigh and Crosbie) - that'd be 21 years. There are loads of tales told about them in various places on the internet, you should look them up. Here's a picture they feature in from 1983 (on the far left)

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/37/124918792_0ed294478d_o.jpg

There was always stuff about Hulme Crescents on the telly during the 80s (we got Granada instead of HTV round here after they switched S4C on in 1982 - only got HTV back in the 1990s). Think some of it is on YouTube. Again, some shocking tales available on the internet about Hulme and Fort Ardwick - can't remember where but again worth looking them up. I've got a PDF saved about them - the cracks were appearing after a couple of years!

wooow finally it works! :cheers: I don't understand what was wrong with the url's the first time.

Thanx GM for all these pics of one of my favourites tower blocks places in France!! I often go there with my girlfiend when we want to have a chinese restaurant, there's so much choice down these buildings and each time we go there I keep my head turned to the sky! I'd really like to see Red Road from my eyes, it must be so impressive as well!

Those ones in Paris sre growing on me, what a sight they must be, fantastic. I need to go to France, I like the Paris and Nantes tower blocks.

Yes it's a fantastic sight, and the area it's so huge with about 25 towers over 30 storeys...and the good thing is that they're currently being refurbished as you can see on these pics, so no doubt they should stay standing. In fact France has a really huge number of tower blocks, each little city has its own ones. The country needed many new homes in the 60's after the independance of Algeria, because all the french people living there were forced to go back to France and it's one of the first counrties to face a big wave of immigration of people from north africa in this decade.

so, here are some pics of Paris Chinatown take by myself:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/2007-04-0902a.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/2007-04-0903a.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/2007-04-0904a.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/2007-04-0910a.jpg
almost the same view at night:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/2006-11-2609a.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/2006-11-2603a.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/2006-11-2610a.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/2006-01-131415004a.jpg

Other pictures of french blocks taken by myself:

Lille, my area:

Tour JF Kennedy, Loos-lez-Lille, the highest in the area with 28 storeys:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/2007-01-2501-Loos-LesOliveaux-TourK.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/2007-01-2504-Loos-LesOliveaux-TourK.jpg
With its neighbours:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/2007-01-2511a.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/2007-01-2521a.jpg
the 4 towers of "Le Pacot Vandracq" in Lambersart, rumoured to be doomed:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/2007-01-2564a.jpg
4 blocks in south Lille:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/2007-01-30011a.jpg
Mons-en-Baroeul:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/2007-02-01019a.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/2007-02-01025a.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/2007-02-01029a.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/2007-02-01030a.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/2007-02-01052a.jpg
Le Moulin Belfort in south Lille:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/2007-03-1701a.jpg
3 of the 9 blocks of "Le Faubourg de Bethune" in south Lille:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/2007-02-06091a.jpg
Le Pont-de-Bois, Villeneuve d'Ascq, a place that I looove:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/2006-12-14061-42rueBaudouinIXcourin.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/2007-02-06042a.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/2007-02-06066a.jpg
I managed to climb in some of these blocks:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/2007-02-06016a.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/2006-12-14098a.jpg
Le Chemin des Vieux Arbres, Villeneuve d'Ascq
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/2004-10-1502a.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/2007-02-06085a.jpg
La Madeleine, near Lille city centre:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/2007-02-01066a.jpg

yet some other photos I took myself:

St Nicolas estate, in Arras, another city in northern France, as seen in early april. I spent the first 3 months of my life in the block on the far left:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/2007-04-0405-StNicolas-Les-Arrasa.jpg
the same estate 30 years back on an old postcard from my parent's collection:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/St.jpg

random pics of Paris area blocks I took from the car:
huge block in Choisy le Roi:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/2007-04-0503-Choisy-Le-Roia.jpg
the 6 Noisy le Sec blocks from the highway:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/2007-04-0505-Noisy-Le-Seca.jpg

:) Finally, pics from wikipedia of some nice french blocks:
Les Tours Nuages (cloud towers) also called tours Aillaud (name of the architect) in Nanterre, west of Paris: probably the highest in western europe with their 40 storeys:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/Tours_Aillaud_Nanterre.jpg
Les choux (the cabbages, official name!! :lol: ) in Creteil, southwest of Paris, nice design:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/CrC3A9teil_les_choux.jpg
L'ile Verte in Grenoble:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/Quartier_IleVerte_Gre.jpg
Le Haut du Lievre in Nancy, apparently 3,000 homes in ONE building :nuts:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/Hautlievre.jpg

and... I was wondering if there was some blocks in Bristol and Leicester?? I think so but nobody seems to have talk of these 2 big cities...

Here are some old ones of Bristol by Fray Bentos on Flickr. I'm posting 2 as a teaser - he's got loads of old Bristol on there, I recommend having a look, I love his stuff! Fray Bentos (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fray_bentos/)

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/227/468981626_72fecf4b9c_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/51/140716966_b6ce15beec_o.jpg

^^I'll have a look! Bristol is a city rarely knocked around on this thread.

l'effroyable: Excellent collection there. France really put inspiring design (and names - the cabbages!) into their tower blocks which is a lot more than what Britain can say, though I still have a strange attraction to them nonetheless.

OK, it's official, I love those French tower blocks! I particularly like Les Tours Nuages, the cabbages, Le Haut du Lievre which just doesn't look like it could possibly be real, Le Pont-de-Bois looks like a parkour paradise and as for l'arrondissement 13 pics from GM, they're amazing!

'Merci beaucoup' l'effroyable et GM! :cheers:

Is the movie District 13 (Banlieue 13) set in arrondissement 13 of the future??

Some amazing blocks there l'effroyable! :eek: :happy: The Cloud Towers are shocking but great!! Where's my map book of France when you need it...? :bash:

I especially like seeing small-town blocks. I mean, I love to see the giant ones in Paris but it's what you expect to see in a world city, wheras smaller "unheard of" towns with tower blocks are more exciting for me, like Arras for example! I love the old and new photos of the blocks there plus the Renault 4 on the old one. :happy:

Grenoble looks lovely backed with green hills. It reminds me a bit of Chamonix where I visited in 2004 but there's only a couple of tall buildings there.

Lille has a lot of tower blocks by the look of it, Tour JF Kennedy probably being my favourite - that really is a big monster!

Does anyone know if there are any tower blocks in Boulogne-sur-Mer, not far from Calais? I went there on a day trip from primary school in 1991 and seem to remember seeing some high rise buildings. But this was before I became obsessed with tower blocks! :lol:

I especially like seeing small-town blocks. I mean, I love to see the giant ones in Paris but it's what you expect to see in a world city, wheras smaller "unheard of" towns with tower blocks are more exciting for me, like Arras for example!
I know what you mean, myself I get all excited when I pass through a small town with some big tower blocks.
Small towns + big tower blocks = :banana:

And we are especially lucky in France because even the small town have tower blocks. I remember passing trough Bagnoles-sur-Cèze (a small town of 15,000 people in southern France) some years ago and be very surprised to see a semi-dozen of 15 or 16 floors tower blocks.


Does anyone know if there are any tower blocks in Boulogne-sur-Mer, not far from Calais? I went there on a day trip from primary school in 1991 and seem to remember seeing some high rise buildings. But this was before I became obsessed with tower blocks! :lol:

Tower blocks by the sea, Boulogne-sur-Mer :
http://www.nordmag.fr/fondecran/boulogne1024x768.jpg

:eek: :eek: :eek: Oh GM thank you! :okay: :happy: (I think I can use the words "Merci" and "J'adore" in this situation. ;))

So I was right! We went there almost 16 years ago but I can still remember what it was like. We got told off by a man for paddling in the sea where the ferries come in - oops. I was sick on the jouney back having travelled for so long. :cry:

Small towns + big tower blocks = :banana:


Absolutely! For me, there is something special about a smaller town with tower blocks, I don't really know why. I noticed the last time I visited France that small towns are crammed with tower blocks. They must have been a far better success than in the UK.

Btw I've looked on Google Maps to find these places you've all been mentioning. :yes:

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:...@ those French blocks...

See, this is what is currently happening in the town of Walsall to the north of Birmingham: :bash:

http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w293/j00lz_2007/img_0875_800.jpg
(Courtesy of radioguy208)

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w62/Citywest501/FairviewandGrangeCourt7-May2007.jpg
(Courtesy of Citywest)

AAARGH! it pains me to see buildings like those in Walsall having a slow death like that. I remember seeing those earlier in this thread and thinking how nice they looked as well.

But those French blocks! So tall and so numerous its unbelievable! 3000 homes in that big wall of concrete! Christ! and what I also noticed was how superior the French blocks looked in comparison to ours. We have very boring towers in comparison to stuff like Tours Nuages and La Choux and thats a big reason why theirs are staying up and ours are being pulled down. If they were as beautiful/iconic/weird as the French ones they might be more popular. The refurbs in France also look great. They look even stranger and more interesting than they did before :)

Canterbury Heights et al! They are like as old as me in that pic and they are derelict already! thats like uber urban decay!

Wow! I'm stunned. The Cloud towers are...are...i'm lost for words.

It is terrible when Tower blocks are demolished. Those ones in Walsall are quite decent looking, even if they have no windaes.

Tower Blocks in the UK cant be liked as much as those french ones. I mean they cant be totally free of the problems associated with the ones over here but they seem better kept and cleaner. I love the different designs and colour schemes

By the way has France demolished any of its blocks, surely not on the same scale as us.

Here are some old ones of Bristol by Fray Bentos on Flickr. I'm posting 2 as a teaser - he's got loads of old Bristol on there, I recommend having a look, I love his stuff! Fray Bentos (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fray_bentos/)

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/227/468981626_72fecf4b9c_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/51/140716966_b6ce15beec_o.jpg

Thank you for the link Borras, amazing pics! It's always nice to see this kind of old pics with building with their old look, old cars, old colours and everything... :)

[QUOTE=Butterfield;12947782]See, this is what is currently happening in the town of Walsall to the north of Birmingham: :bash: QUOTE]

:ohno: Are those the Pleck and Bentley flats?? That's so sad because they were looking really clean before the windows were pulled out. I think I've read somewhere that the Bentley flats were going to be completely refurbished after being totally stripped out, but judging by the hole in the second storey they're surely going to be blowned... :ohno:

^^

Yes, you are right about where they are! The Bentley ones have stood empty for a few years and I never heard that they were being refurbished. I wonder where you heard that from?

schemie and Mr. B - (that sounds like a children's cartoon or something! :lol:) Those Walsall blocks in the first photo are my favourite design of tower block being clad in an attractive brick rather than just grey concrete and they have nice balconies. There is another almost identical cluster to the ones being demolished over the other side of the town, plus other identical ones dotted around. You can see this cluster from the M6 so they will be missed by us, but probably not by the locals!

More photos of these are on the West Midlands Tower Blocks thread in the Birmingham forum.

Thank you all for the comments, I'm glad you like... :cheers:

Tower Blocks in the UK cant be liked as much as those french ones. I mean they cant be totally free of the problems associated with the ones over here but they seem better kept and cleaner. I love the different designs and colour schemes

By the way has France demolished any of its blocks, surely not on the same scale as us.

French blocks are also deeply associated with poverty, violence and racial problems and sometimes blocks that are kept in really good condition are demolished to make the people who live there feel a real political will for change. But nobody here seems to understand that it's the people who cause the problems and not the buildings. Some blocks will be blowned and replaced by smaller structures that will go in the same derelict way as fast as the previous ones. :bash: Anyway a lot of blocks have been demolished in France since the mid/late 80's and the first to have this fate were the bigger ones. In Lille, my city 2 big 19 storeys 200 meters long slabs and a 23 storey tower have been blowned in 1989-90 and then a 10 storeys 250 meters long slab in 2003 but sadly I can't find good pictures of them. I think the first tower to be demolished was in Villeurbanne near Lyon(s) in 1978!!!

Wow! I'm stunned. The Cloud towers are...are...i'm lost for words.

Yes they are really impressive as they are really thin!! Here's a link to a page with more pics of them if you like:
http://eras.free.fr/html/archi/nuages.html


But those French blocks! So tall and so numerous its unbelievable! 3000 homes in that big wall of concrete!

3000 homes is what I've read, I wonder if it's the number for the building or for the whole estate, but since this estate has over 16,000 inhabitants and the fact this building is so long it could be the right number. Close to this "wall block" there's also a 32 to 34 storeys tower (not the same number on each side as it's build on a hill I guess) Here's a pic from Emporis (you can find it in the metro city of Malzéville page):
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/effroyable/4827611.jpg

Some amazing blocks there l'effroyable! :eek: :happy: The Cloud Towers are shocking but great!! Where's my map book of France when you need it...? :bash:

I especially like seeing small-town blocks. I mean, I love to see the giant ones in Paris but it's what you expect to see in a world city, wheras smaller "unheard of" towns with tower blocks are more exciting for me, like Arras for example! I love the old and new photos of the blocks there plus the Renault 4 on the old one. :happy:

Grenoble looks lovely backed with green hills. It reminds me a bit of Chamonix where I visited in 2004 but there's only a couple of tall buildings there.

Lille has a lot of tower blocks by the look of it, Tour JF Kennedy probably being my favourite - that really is a big monster!

Does anyone know if there are any tower blocks in Boulogne-sur-Mer, not far from Calais? I went there on a day trip from primary school in 1991 and seem to remember seeing some high rise buildings. But this was before I became obsessed with tower blocks! :lol:

yes there's a lot of small towns with blocks in France, coincidence that you talk about Chamonix because I was there last thursday! The only block I saw was a 13ish storey grey tower that was more looking like ski-holidays flats than a "tower block" as we know it. Then coming back from Chamonix I passed along 3 small or medium-sized towns with lots of blocks (some are quite huge) really close to the country side: St Dizier, Vitry-le-François and Chalons-en-Champagne (ex Chalons-sur-Marne) but as we were 4 in the car I couldn't stop to take pics as you guess...
Next time you go to France check the eastern side of Calais, the Beaumarais area, not far from the ferries terminal, there are about 20 impressive blocks and some are to be demolished quite soon... :ohno:
...and there's another estate in Arras with a big blue tower I need to get pics of!!! + an important concentration (maybe 20 or 25) of about 15 storeys blocks in Lens.
...and by the way my father was living in the block next to JF Kennedy tower in 1966 when it was built but it seems he hasn't any photos of it :down:

OK, it's official, I love those French tower blocks! I particularly like Les Tours Nuages, the cabbages, Le Haut du Lievre which just doesn't look like it could possibly be real, Le Pont-de-Bois looks like a parkour paradise and as for l'arrondissement 13 pics from GM, they're amazing!

'Merci beaucoup' l'effroyable et GM! :cheers:

Is the movie District 13 (Banlieue 13) set in arrondissement 13 of the future??

Yes Le Pont-de-Bois is really cool, cause the buildings are linked together with stairs, foot bridges and little corridors, it's a real labyrinth! For the movie "Banlieue 13" I haven't seen it (shame since I have 2 friends playing a little part in it) but I don't think it deals with the 13th borough of Paris since I've read that the outdoor scenes have been shot in Romania but just with the unlucky and deprived side of the "banlieue"