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The new gas works started operation in December 1882 with the old Canongate works closing down a few weeks later, once the new plant was found to be operating successfully. By this time there were 136 gaslights in the town.

The South Road gas works was periodically upgraded and became one of the main producers in the area. The use of gas continued to expand as residents started using gas ovens, and businesses installed gas engines to power their machines. The gas industry was nationalised in 1949, and that led to the increasing inter connection of different companies’ systems, in effect creating the beginnings of a national distribution grid. This led to the closure of smaller plants, including Amble and Rothbury. Alnwick continued production until 1964 supplying the local area. Following closure of the production, gas was supplied from major sites, such as at Blaydon, though the Alnwick site has remained in operation, providing storage and pressure control for the national gas distribution system.

A major change took place in 1972 with the local change to ‘North Sea Gas’. The lack of luminosity of this ‘new’ gas spelt the end of gas lighting with the resulting extinguishing of the last six gas streetlights in Alnwick on Denwick Lane. Gas storage was maintained until 1984, when the large gas holders were finally demolished. Pressure control is still carried out in a new facility on South Road, maintaining the link with the original South Road plant and its predecessors.

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A SA was obtained in 1881 by the Alnwick Gas Company which allowed the gasworks to relocate to South Turnpike. Gas was first made at the new gasworks in 1882. These gasworks had a siding from the NER and the Shilbottle Tramway ran through the gasworks. In 1914 the gasworks was making coal gas using HR and also manufacturing sulphate of ammonia. Vested in the Northern Gas Board from the Alnwick Gas Company. It was planned to modernise the gasworks in 1951 allowing the Amble gasworks to close. An LPG/Air plant was installed for peak-shaving. A medium pressure gas main was laid from Morpeth to Alnwick in 1959. Gas production ceased in 1964, but the GHs were retained for some years. The network was switched to natural gas in 1972.