Explosions at Nottinghamshire power station as crowds watch emotional demolition

Crowds called it the "end of an era" as they watched a major step in the demolition of a decades-old Nottinghamshire power station. Loud explosions were heard in West Burton on Thursday (November 21) as two units and a large chimney were blown up at the power station.

The site, near Retford, was built in the 1960s and will eventually make way for the UK's first nuclear fusion energy plant. The full demolition works, including the destruction of the cooling towers at West Burton Power Station, are set to finish in early 2028.

Dozens gathered on Thursday close to the power station to watch the latest step in its demolition. A large flash was seen before several deafening bangs rang out and a large structure came down, with large plumes of smoke hanging in the air.

Among those watching was Rebecca Parry, from Gainsborough, who works at the power station in security. Although it was her day off, Ms Parry felt compelled to watch the latest stage of demolition, given her strong family ties with the power station.

The 35-year-old said: "My grandad built this place, so it's quite emotional seeing it starting to come down. My grandad was here in 1964 until around 1988, then my dad started in 1986 and now I've been here for three years, so it's really been part of our story as a family."

Robert Beedhan, from the nearby Bassetlaw village of Blyth, watched the demolition with his wife Rachel. Mr Beedhan, in his 50s, said: "It's a bit of a shame because it is a bit of a local landmark and we often see the chimneys lit up at night. Some say they are a blot on the landscape, but this has been here since the 60s."

Also with close ties to the power station was 65-year-old John Heppenstall, from the nearby Nottinghamshire parish of Saundby, who said: "I worked 21 years of my life here and now I'm watching some of it coming down. I left last September and it didn't mean as much to me as some of the older ones who had been there from the early days, but all the companies that I worked for have now gone.

"Something new will take its place and it's just the way things are going." Other Nottinghamshire power stations on the road to demolition include the Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station, which recently closed, and the Cottam Power Station, also near Retford and set for full demolition in early 2026.

Rebecca Parry added: "Wherever you're coming from, when you see the cooling towers here, you know you're home. It's done its service and more and obviously the new nuclear project will be based here, which I think will really help the growth of Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire and provide employment for a lot of people, but it's the end of an era."