West Burton Power Station | A Giant on the Edge of History

Soar over West Burton Power Station, near Retford in North Nottinghamshire / Bassetlaw, and see a landmark in gradual decline. Once one of the UK’s major coal-fired plants, West Burton A shut down in March 2023 after nearly 57 years of operation.  This video shows the towers, chimneys, cooling structures, and the site’s connection to the River Trent, which forms the border with Lincolnshire in this area.  Nearby you’ll find the near-abandoned hamlet of West Burton (population ~14 in 2021), which was once a small village whose decline accelerated when the river changed course around 1797.  The old medieval settlement is now a scheduled monument with earthworks, abandoned streets, and even a former churchyard still marked.  Interestingly, the West Burton site is now eyed for the future: in October 2022, the UK Government selected it as the home of STEP, the prototype fusion energy power plant, with plans to transform the “fossil to fusion” story in the region.  Also on site is West Burton B, a modern gas-fired combined cycle plant (CCGT) commissioned in 2013, now owned by TotalEnergies. #WestBurtonPowerStation #DroneFootageUK #Nottinghamshire #Bassetlaw #DecommissionedPowerStation #CoalPowerUK #IndustrialHeritage #AerialVideo #UKEnergyHistory #CoolingTowers #FusionEnergyFuture #WestBurtonA #WestBurtonB #RiverTrent #AbandonedVillage