Introduction
You know the drill, me and @JakeV50 set off to try and cover some more of the old pump houses around Fenland. This day was a bit of a failure as we visited quite a lot of empty/inaccessible ones, but this one was definitely a highlight. In fact, this was my favourite find so far.
Information & History
The site of this engine house originally boasted a Windpump but was demolished and replaced with a timber structure with a corrugated tin roof. This is a very rare type of station in the area due to its construction. There was only one other wooden pumping station built in the fens which is situated close to Boot’s Bridge in Wimblington. That one, although still surviving, is now used as storage by the house next to it so I would assume the engine & pump has been removed. These stations were built with such materials as it is thought the ground conditions were not suitable to sustain brick at these two locations.
Purl’s Bridge pumping station was constructed in the 1920s. It contains an old Ruston Diesel engine powering a single centrifugal pump via a drive belt. The purpose of this particular station was to drain the fenland to the west of the building into the Old Bedford River. It is situated within the Manea & Welney district which spans just shy of 8700 acres.
The site was operational until around 1975 when an electric pump manufactured by Allen-Gwynnes served the same purpose in a brick building nearby.
Many of the pumping stations in the Fens were powered by Diesel engines. Many were originally wind-powered until steam became more popular. Later, in the early 20th Century many were powered by Diesel from the likes of Ruston & Hornsby, Crossley, Blackstone, and W.H. Allen. From the ones I have seen so far, it appears that Ruston was the most popular choice, particularly for single-cylinder units like this one and the one at Southery. Ruston was a world-leading manufacturer of Diesel engines and was based in Lincoln. The company's history traces back to 1840 as Proctor & Burton until Joseph Ruston joined them later on. It was then known as Ruston & Hornsby following a merger in 1918.
Some pumping engines required larger, and sometimes multiple pumps so there was a need to install engines with multiple cylinders as the pumps required more horsepower to run them. For the most part, Diesel engines are no longer used for powering pumps at modern/modernised stations in the area and are now electric-powered. Despite this, most of the more substantial stations still use Diesel engines as backups during power cuts and motor failures.
There are no plans for the future of this particular site, I do hope someone saves the engine here as it seems to be in pretty good condition.
The Explore
We had no idea what to expect with this one, I had a feeling it would be empty but was pleasantly surprised. There was a very small opening near the pump which we squeezed through to get in. The building is in great condition and I don’t think anyone has been in for years as it is filled with cobwebs everywhere. The roads to the site are absolutely horrendous and I was scraping even going 20mph, it was also an absolute sweatbox in there as we decided to visit on what was one of the hottest days of the year.
On a side note, I recently purchased a copy of K.S.G. Hinde’s book of Fenland Pumping Engines and I would highly recommend it if you have a keen interest in pumping stations in the area, or pumps/engines in general. It covers well over 200 sites across Fenland, some with rare photos too!
Anyway enough waffle, onto the photos starting with some externals - I was getting chased by wasps when getting these shots
Once inside, you are greeted with the centrifugal pump:
The drive belt going from the engine to the pump:
The beautiful Ruston single-cylinder engine:
Cobwebs everywhere!
And a few other shots to conclude:
Thanks for looking!
You know the drill, me and @JakeV50 set off to try and cover some more of the old pump houses around Fenland. This day was a bit of a failure as we visited quite a lot of empty/inaccessible ones, but this one was definitely a highlight. In fact, this was my favourite find so far.
Information & History
The site of this engine house originally boasted a Windpump but was demolished and replaced with a timber structure with a corrugated tin roof. This is a very rare type of station in the area due to its construction. There was only one other wooden pumping station built in the fens which is situated close to Boot’s Bridge in Wimblington. That one, although still surviving, is now used as storage by the house next to it so I would assume the engine & pump has been removed. These stations were built with such materials as it is thought the ground conditions were not suitable to sustain brick at these two locations.
Purl’s Bridge pumping station was constructed in the 1920s. It contains an old Ruston Diesel engine powering a single centrifugal pump via a drive belt. The purpose of this particular station was to drain the fenland to the west of the building into the Old Bedford River. It is situated within the Manea & Welney district which spans just shy of 8700 acres.
The site was operational until around 1975 when an electric pump manufactured by Allen-Gwynnes served the same purpose in a brick building nearby.
Many of the pumping stations in the Fens were powered by Diesel engines. Many were originally wind-powered until steam became more popular. Later, in the early 20th Century many were powered by Diesel from the likes of Ruston & Hornsby, Crossley, Blackstone, and W.H. Allen. From the ones I have seen so far, it appears that Ruston was the most popular choice, particularly for single-cylinder units like this one and the one at Southery. Ruston was a world-leading manufacturer of Diesel engines and was based in Lincoln. The company's history traces back to 1840 as Proctor & Burton until Joseph Ruston joined them later on. It was then known as Ruston & Hornsby following a merger in 1918.
Some pumping engines required larger, and sometimes multiple pumps so there was a need to install engines with multiple cylinders as the pumps required more horsepower to run them. For the most part, Diesel engines are no longer used for powering pumps at modern/modernised stations in the area and are now electric-powered. Despite this, most of the more substantial stations still use Diesel engines as backups during power cuts and motor failures.
There are no plans for the future of this particular site, I do hope someone saves the engine here as it seems to be in pretty good condition.
The Explore
We had no idea what to expect with this one, I had a feeling it would be empty but was pleasantly surprised. There was a very small opening near the pump which we squeezed through to get in. The building is in great condition and I don’t think anyone has been in for years as it is filled with cobwebs everywhere. The roads to the site are absolutely horrendous and I was scraping even going 20mph, it was also an absolute sweatbox in there as we decided to visit on what was one of the hottest days of the year.
On a side note, I recently purchased a copy of K.S.G. Hinde’s book of Fenland Pumping Engines and I would highly recommend it if you have a keen interest in pumping stations in the area, or pumps/engines in general. It covers well over 200 sites across Fenland, some with rare photos too!
Anyway enough waffle, onto the photos starting with some externals - I was getting chased by wasps when getting these shots
Once inside, you are greeted with the centrifugal pump:
The drive belt going from the engine to the pump:
The beautiful Ruston single-cylinder engine:
Cobwebs everywhere!
And a few other shots to conclude:
Thanks for looking!
