The Last Foundations

The Last Foundations: Ravenscraig 30 Years on by Chris Leslie

5 September – 2 November 2026
North Lanarkshire Heritage Centre

On the 28th July 2026, it will be thirty years since the demolition of Ravenscraig’s three cooling towers and two gas holders – a moment etched into the memory of Motherwell and Wishaw. Their collapse into twisted steel and dust was more than the loss of landmarks: it marked the final end of an industry, a community, and a way of life. Ravenscraig – “the Craig” as it was known locally – was once the largest hot strip steel mill in Western Europe. At its peak, the integrated steelworks employed 13,000 people and defined the identity of the towns. When the plant closed in 1992, livelihoods were lost, but it was the demolition of the towers in 1996 that delivered the symbolic final blow. For the first time in generations, the horizon was empty.

To mark the 30th anniversary of this pivotal moment, documentary photographer and filmmaker Chris Leslie will liaise with former workers and the local community to produce The Last Foundations – a multimedia project that documents both the former Ravenscraig site today and the surrounding community 30 years on from the demolition of the cooling towers. Combining film, photography, oral history recordings, archival material, community engagement, and interviews, the project will explore how the closure of Ravenscraig has shaped the community over three decades, and how its legacy continues to echo in daily life.  The Last Foundations is both a record and a reflection: an attempt to capture not only what has been lost, but also how memory, resilience, and identity endure long after the towers have fallen.

Follow the journey and explore stories, images and archives: www.thelastfoundations.com