Booters Hall Pump House
Again, back a few months for this one. A fantastic find by Dan. Booters Hall pump house was used to supply Booters Hall Farm with water pulled from a natural spring in Newalls Head Plantation, as can be seen from a screengrab of OS 25 Inch 1892-1914.
The pump house consists of two buildings. There is a small building set down into the ground which houses two ram pumps, and the main building with the equipment inside. A pipe connects the two buildings, as the ram pumps obviously feed into the pump house. Inside the pump house resides a 5hp Lister CS which drives a Climax #3 water pump via a belt. The main pump house is split into two sections. This part housing the Lister and a larger part which has a couple of vertical electric pumps and some water storage tanks. There is also a ruined wooden overshot waterwheel in this section. It's fed by a concrete waterway carved through the end of the building. For some reason there is also a mini sluice gate on the waterway. This section of building is in very poor condition. A tree appears to have fallen down onto the roof, meaning one of the walls is leaning at a very impressive angle!
It's easy enough to get to this one. Parked nearby and had a 15 minute walk down to it through the trees. We actually had a look at it one evening as we were curious what it was like. Luckily I had my wellies on, Dan however, did not. Turns out the land near the pump house is incredibly boggy. So much so that Dan ended up loosing not one, but both of his trainers in the bog, sending me to go wading in and retrieve them while he stood there, barefoot, bravely observing.
We returned the following Saturday morning, both now armed with wellingtons following the previous scenario to photograph it. Ignoring "Keep Out" painted on the back of the door in threatening pink letters, we spent a good hour or so manoeuvring around inside getting shots. It doesn't look it on the photos, but inside the main engine room is tiny. I was dreading looking at these photos as it was almost pitch black inside, but all things considered, I'm pleased with the results.
One of the vertical pumps, the water storage tanks to the right
Mr & Mrs Ram hiding away
Again, back a few months for this one. A fantastic find by Dan. Booters Hall pump house was used to supply Booters Hall Farm with water pulled from a natural spring in Newalls Head Plantation, as can be seen from a screengrab of OS 25 Inch 1892-1914.
The pump house consists of two buildings. There is a small building set down into the ground which houses two ram pumps, and the main building with the equipment inside. A pipe connects the two buildings, as the ram pumps obviously feed into the pump house. Inside the pump house resides a 5hp Lister CS which drives a Climax #3 water pump via a belt. The main pump house is split into two sections. This part housing the Lister and a larger part which has a couple of vertical electric pumps and some water storage tanks. There is also a ruined wooden overshot waterwheel in this section. It's fed by a concrete waterway carved through the end of the building. For some reason there is also a mini sluice gate on the waterway. This section of building is in very poor condition. A tree appears to have fallen down onto the roof, meaning one of the walls is leaning at a very impressive angle!
It's easy enough to get to this one. Parked nearby and had a 15 minute walk down to it through the trees. We actually had a look at it one evening as we were curious what it was like. Luckily I had my wellies on, Dan however, did not. Turns out the land near the pump house is incredibly boggy. So much so that Dan ended up loosing not one, but both of his trainers in the bog, sending me to go wading in and retrieve them while he stood there, barefoot, bravely observing.
We returned the following Saturday morning, both now armed with wellingtons following the previous scenario to photograph it. Ignoring "Keep Out" painted on the back of the door in threatening pink letters, we spent a good hour or so manoeuvring around inside getting shots. It doesn't look it on the photos, but inside the main engine room is tiny. I was dreading looking at these photos as it was almost pitch black inside, but all things considered, I'm pleased with the results.
One of the vertical pumps, the water storage tanks to the right
Mr & Mrs Ram hiding away
