A landmark structure that has stood in Carlisle for nearly 100 years is being demolished.

The old gasometer on Rome Street has stood the test of time but is being dismantled.

A spokesman for Northern Gas Networks said: "The holder was built in 1928.

"Its main purpose was to store town gas or coal gas as it was known.

"It had a maximum storage capacity of 2,034,534 Cu. Ft."

The holders were manufactured at the time as a storage facility as more gas was manufactured than there was demand.

"Later with the move from town gas to natural gas it was used to store up gas to be drawn off in periods of high demand, such as cold winters."

The gasometer is being demolished because today's national network is so efficient.

The spokesman added: "The National Gas Network is now very efficient and can now meet periods of high or very high demand without the reliance on back up or stored gas.

"As the holders are obsolete it is far more cost effective to dismantle them than continue to provide maintenance of such assets."

News of the structure being demolished prompted some people to give their views on Facebook.

Steve Cosway said: "There is a national policy to remove gas holders as they are so expensive to maintain.

"The vast majority are in excess of 100 years old. Sad to see it go. I "worked" there for many years."

Suzanne Buntin said: "My husband and I worked at the gas board until it closed down. I think it will be sad if it is demolished."

Etta Cosgrove said: "Yes it is in the process of being demolished, the other one is listed and going to be repainted."

Some people had some ideas as to what the structure could be used for.

Lawrence Fisher said: "Was there not an idea to turn one of them into a theatre in the round?"

Marina Nixon said: "Recent visit to Cairns (Australia) these old gasometers (within the local Botanical Gardens) were cleaned and transformed into concert venues and other practical public uses."

Kevin Allen said: "They turned a redundant gasrometer in Dublin into an eight storey block of flats, made a really good job of it as well.

"A rotunda shaped building but with the basic steel layout of the rotunda still visible so you could tell what it had been and what they had turned it into, used a bit of imagination, and ingenuity."

The gas holder off Solway Road in Workington is also in the process of being demolished.

It was built in 1949 but was mothballed in the mid 1990s and fully decommissioned in March 2008.

Now work is underway to take down the redundant structure.

Northern Gas Networks workers began preparations to remove the holder in June, beginning by laying a haul road from the site entrance to the structure.

The holder, which was built by Drummond Ltd, will then be taken down using demolition excavators with shear attachments to cut the metal.

A Northern Gas Networks spokesman said noise, dust and vibration would be monitored throughout the process.

The project is expected to be completed by the end of October.

All residual gas from the holder was removed and made safe during the decommissioning process.

All live gas pipework to and from the holder was disconnected and diverted as part of that process.