With no chance to go exploring and only my daily walk to keep me sane I was surprised what was on my doorstep.
Not really a "report" but I'll bore you with the small amount of history I could find on these places
Dissused reservoir and bore holes for wall Grange pumping station
Wall Grange Water Works
The Staffordshire Potteries Water Works Company promoted a Bill in Parliament and this received the Royal Assent on the 9th July, 1847
This Act incorporated the subscribers into a Company with a capital of �60,000, named the first directors of the Company, specified the limits of area of the Act, and authorised the construction of works to enable certain springs which discharged into the River Churnet near Wall Grange, to be collected and pumped to a reservoir to be constructed at Ladderedge.
Wall Grange
Wall Grange Water Works About 1854From Ladderedge the water was to be conveyed by a gravitation main to a proposed reservoir at the top of Hanley, from which mains were to be laid to Hanley, Stoke, Burslem, Tunstall, Fenton, Trentham and Newcastle. To compensate the River Churnet for the abstraction of water from these springs, an impounding reservoir was to be built in the Deep Hayes valley.
The construction of Wall Grange works was put in hand without delay. The new Company was, however, soon in difficulties for the Cornish beam steam pumping engine for Wall Grange made for them by Messrs. Sandys Vivian, of Hale, Cornwall, was unfortunately sunk in the Mersey, the vessel being completely lost with most of its cargo.
Another engine of the same type, named "Stafford", was constructed and the works were in operation in September, 1849. A second engine by the same makers and of almost identical design, named "Davenport", was erected and put to work in 1854.
Stafford Beam Engine 1849-1932
Stafford Beam Engine 1849-1932
The original beam steam pumping engines, which had been at work almost continuously since being installed , were replaced in 1933 by three electrically driven surface pumps. This new plant was installed in the original "Stafford" beam engine house which was re-modelled. The "Davenport" engine house and boiler house were demolished about the same time.
Some of the water works has now been converted into an impressive dwelling and the pump keepers cottages remain. The bore holes at caeneas well stand overgrown as does the Dissused reservoir at the top of the hill
Steps up to the reservoir
Valves and pipework
Bore holes at caenas well
Next a Dissused covered / underground reservoir I never knew was there until the only thing to do was go for another walk. Other than second hand local knowledge I can not find any history on this. I am told it was a secondary supply to feed the water tower at St Edwards asylum which makes sense as the direction the pipework must travel meets up with a small brick building in a field that houses a rather large and ver old valve (I must go and get a photo of this) and the water tower it's self. The reservoir was accessible but the ladder had seen far better days. So I dangled the action camera from my race quadcopter through a gap in the cover and was disappointed to find it was of concrete construction not brick (I won't upload the footage as its not that exciting.
Oh well that killed a few minutes :-)
Not really a "report" but I'll bore you with the small amount of history I could find on these places
Dissused reservoir and bore holes for wall Grange pumping station
Wall Grange Water Works
The Staffordshire Potteries Water Works Company promoted a Bill in Parliament and this received the Royal Assent on the 9th July, 1847
This Act incorporated the subscribers into a Company with a capital of �60,000, named the first directors of the Company, specified the limits of area of the Act, and authorised the construction of works to enable certain springs which discharged into the River Churnet near Wall Grange, to be collected and pumped to a reservoir to be constructed at Ladderedge.
Wall Grange
Wall Grange Water Works About 1854From Ladderedge the water was to be conveyed by a gravitation main to a proposed reservoir at the top of Hanley, from which mains were to be laid to Hanley, Stoke, Burslem, Tunstall, Fenton, Trentham and Newcastle. To compensate the River Churnet for the abstraction of water from these springs, an impounding reservoir was to be built in the Deep Hayes valley.
The construction of Wall Grange works was put in hand without delay. The new Company was, however, soon in difficulties for the Cornish beam steam pumping engine for Wall Grange made for them by Messrs. Sandys Vivian, of Hale, Cornwall, was unfortunately sunk in the Mersey, the vessel being completely lost with most of its cargo.
Another engine of the same type, named "Stafford", was constructed and the works were in operation in September, 1849. A second engine by the same makers and of almost identical design, named "Davenport", was erected and put to work in 1854.
Stafford Beam Engine 1849-1932
Stafford Beam Engine 1849-1932
The original beam steam pumping engines, which had been at work almost continuously since being installed , were replaced in 1933 by three electrically driven surface pumps. This new plant was installed in the original "Stafford" beam engine house which was re-modelled. The "Davenport" engine house and boiler house were demolished about the same time.
Some of the water works has now been converted into an impressive dwelling and the pump keepers cottages remain. The bore holes at caeneas well stand overgrown as does the Dissused reservoir at the top of the hill
Steps up to the reservoir
Valves and pipework
Bore holes at caenas well
Next a Dissused covered / underground reservoir I never knew was there until the only thing to do was go for another walk. Other than second hand local knowledge I can not find any history on this. I am told it was a secondary supply to feed the water tower at St Edwards asylum which makes sense as the direction the pipework must travel meets up with a small brick building in a field that houses a rather large and ver old valve (I must go and get a photo of this) and the water tower it's self. The reservoir was accessible but the ladder had seen far better days. So I dangled the action camera from my race quadcopter through a gap in the cover and was disappointed to find it was of concrete construction not brick (I won't upload the footage as its not that exciting.
Oh well that killed a few minutes :-)
