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Report - - Hatton Pumping Station 10/10/06 | Industrial Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - Hatton Pumping Station 10/10/06

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Dripfed

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Since I only recently joined, this report may seem late :) Haven't checked recently, I imagine the building work I saw may mean the development work has finished.

Hatton Pumping Station is located along the A51 in Staffordshire.
Grid Ref: SJ829370
Retired in 1999, it was one of a series of pumping stations established in the late 19th early 20th century to provide water for Stoke-on-Trent. Built 1892-98 housing 2 beam engines, with expansions for replacement horizontal steam engines in 1907, it occupies about 3 acres of land, with workers housing surrounding the main pumping engine house. When I were a lad at Keele University (just up the road) the station was in the throes of being stipped out by pikeys, human vermin, and people I wouldn't wipe my arse on, it was a sorry site.

So passing by with no intention of any exploration one day, I was pleased to note that the pumping station was being converted into private housing, it all looked smart, sand blasted, with nice new window frames. With the simple addition of a HVV, wellys, a hard-hat and a winning smile (always keep them in the boot ;) even the smile), it was easy to gain access to the site for a little wander. Until a rather smart car turned up and a man mountain climbed out to examine his Empire...I thought I'd end up in a ditch somewhere with my throat cut if he saw me. Later research turned up this gem, (play the video, you see the full sight in dereliction and the man mountain developer) The developer would probably have appreciated my interest judging by the interview, but I didn't want to chance it at the time, and so left via muddy fields.

Left some images as links otherwise you'd spend all day loading the page up :)

The entrance, and pump masters house
entrance.jpg

Front of the main pump house
front.jpg

Chimney Base
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b88/dripfed/chimneybase.jpg
Side of the pump house, Beam engines would have been in here
detail.jpg

Ah ha, a way in.
side.jpg

Base of the beam engine room
columnbase.jpg

Top of the beam engine room
IMG_0459.jpg

Electric Pumps?
pumps.jpg

Old switchgear
switches.jpg

Ah, new building
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b88/dripfed/tools.jpg
Very nice, stud panels going in
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b88/dripfed/newbuild.jpg
Wonder where this goes?
roofaccess.jpg

A small Italianate tower! A real bugger to get to. Was from here I saw the man-mountain arrive in his posh car. Began to find a way out.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b88/dripfed/fromtower.jpg
Found the machine room
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b88/dripfed/machineroom.jpg
Used to look like this
oldpumproom.jpg

Escaped out the back of the machine room
back.jpg


Overall an excellent sight, because I'd driven past it so many times just as it closed, and began to be gutted by vermin. I'm not sure you'll be able to wander around now, unless you were packing a large bank balance and wanted an unusual home.
 
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