Papplewick Pumping Station
This is Britain's finest Victorian Water Works and the only one in the Midlands to be preserved as a complete working water pumping station. Papplewick Pumping Station was built between 1882 - 1884 to supplement the water supply for the growing city of Nottingham.
In the main building there are two massive beam pumping engines, thought to be the last built by the famous firm of James Watt & Co. of Soho Works, Birmingham and London.
These two 140hp. Engines lifted water from the 200 foot deep well, dug into the sandstone subground and pumped the water into the reservoir that supplied Nottingham.
These beams engines worked for 85 years and ceased regular operation in 1969, when electric pumps were fitted in the pilot well near the main gate. These automatic electric pumps saved the manpower required to stoke three of the 6 Lancashire boilers that feed steam to the two beam engines.
After the preservation group took over the upkeep of the station in 1974 and by 1975 Papplewick was opened to allow the public to view this fine water works, along with a growing number of other steam powered engines that have come from other local sites. These include the Linby Colliery Winding Engine and the Stanton Triple Expansion Engine.
Other Waterworks in the Nottinghamshire area only survive as preserved buildings without any of the original steam powered pumping equipment.
VISITORS INFORMATION:
The Station is open Sunday afternoons static display- non steaming.
April 2010 to October 2010 to - 11am to approx. 2pm (depending on volunteers being on site)
Please ask volunteers for details about the station.
Admission charges:
Adults £3.00
Senior/student £2.50,
Please put money in the Donation box or give to one of the volunteers.
All money goes to the upkeep of the station.
Landscaped Park Setting, Picnic Area,
Steaming Days - Shop & Cafe, car parking opposite the main gates.
Static Sundays - Onsite parking. Light refreshments maybe available in the café
Miniature Steam train rides behind ‘Percy’, around the gardens on steaming weekends
Model boats & yachts sailing on the cooling pond most Sundays by Association members.
A local wood turner shows his work on steaming weekends.
The station is open for viewing on Sunday afternoons and the Beam Engines are "In Steam" on Bank Holiday weekends. See ‘Dates & Times’
Sat Nav Post Code - NG15 9AJ.