The Willington Cooling Towers are a striking and iconic feature of the Derbyshire skyline, remnants of a now-defunct power station that once played a vital role in the UK's post-war energy infrastructure. The towers were part of the Willington Power Station, which was developed in two stages between 1954 and 1960 to serve the expanding National Grid. The five towers, constructed from reinforced concrete, each stand about 91 meters tall and have a hyperbolic shape designed to aid the cooling of water used in the power station's turbines.
Though the power station itself was decommissioned in the 1990s, and much of it was demolished by the early 2000s, the cooling towers remain intact, standing as both industrial relics and significant landmarks in the area. While there have been proposals to redevelop the site, including plans for a new gas-fired power station, the towers have persisted despite these changes. The towers’ survival, however, is precarious, with demolition considered in some plans for future development.
