Here are most of the remaining water wheel (water) pumps in the Cotswolds, all from the eastern end of the hills.
The western ones turned out to have a peculiar design featuring overhead beams, as detailed in the previous post (#4).
Photos are phone.
Cranham. Many of the old pump houses marked on maps are empty, or not there at all.
This first one in the woods south of Cranham is typical - the building was rubble leaving just the remains of a wheel, which had migrated downhill a bit.
The little hut in the background once housed a hydraulic ram, but that had gone as well.
Painswick. This site was labelled as a hydraulic ram (in 1920) but turned out to contain a water wheel pump, with some of the pump bits missing.
The label says it was made by W James of Cheltenham, about whom I can find nothing.
I wondered why the locals were giving me hard looks until I noticed a calf in the distance - rule no 1 of ruralbex, stay out of nursery fields.
Rendcomb. This pump house once served farms and houses and was the backup water supply to a local school until the water mains arrived in 1960.
It seems to have attained its current layout by 1920, although there’s an unlabelled structure shown at this position in 1900, along with a nearby hydraulic ram (now gone).
Tank, presumably for the spring water to be pumped.
The building has two sections - the first contains the remains of a reciprocating pump with an empty plinth for whatever drove it.
I didn’t notice a makers name on the pump.
The top bits have been dumped in a corner.
I briefly considered putting it back together but the bolts for the side pieces were bent - doubt I could even have lifted the crank and gear part anyway.
At the far end is the presumably older water wheel pump, made by TH & J Daniels of Stroud.
According to Grace’s Guide this firm, founded in 1840, made all sort of things including pumps.
The water for the wheel came from a pond behind.
Tetbury. The last one is the oldest and most interesting.
Shown on maps by 1881, the earliest one I have access to for this region, it once piped water to Westonbirt House.
Fittingly enough the house was built with money made from supplying fresh water to London.
The entrance on the right leads to an empty ram hut - there’s a similar empty one on the other side of the valley.
Both were driven by springs and also pumped to the house.
The wheel is unusual having a single set of arms and the pump, made by Easton & Anderson, is reasonably complete.
I found a better preserved example of the same setup near Warwick (Hydraulic Ram Pumps #12).
A bit of digging uncovered a ballast tank and some pipework.
There are plenty more of these ancient pump houses if you bother to look for them.
The western ones turned out to have a peculiar design featuring overhead beams, as detailed in the previous post (#4).
Photos are phone.
Cranham. Many of the old pump houses marked on maps are empty, or not there at all.
This first one in the woods south of Cranham is typical - the building was rubble leaving just the remains of a wheel, which had migrated downhill a bit.
The little hut in the background once housed a hydraulic ram, but that had gone as well.
Painswick. This site was labelled as a hydraulic ram (in 1920) but turned out to contain a water wheel pump, with some of the pump bits missing.
The label says it was made by W James of Cheltenham, about whom I can find nothing.
I wondered why the locals were giving me hard looks until I noticed a calf in the distance - rule no 1 of ruralbex, stay out of nursery fields.
Rendcomb. This pump house once served farms and houses and was the backup water supply to a local school until the water mains arrived in 1960.
It seems to have attained its current layout by 1920, although there’s an unlabelled structure shown at this position in 1900, along with a nearby hydraulic ram (now gone).
Tank, presumably for the spring water to be pumped.
The building has two sections - the first contains the remains of a reciprocating pump with an empty plinth for whatever drove it.
I didn’t notice a makers name on the pump.
The top bits have been dumped in a corner.
I briefly considered putting it back together but the bolts for the side pieces were bent - doubt I could even have lifted the crank and gear part anyway.
At the far end is the presumably older water wheel pump, made by TH & J Daniels of Stroud.
According to Grace’s Guide this firm, founded in 1840, made all sort of things including pumps.
The water for the wheel came from a pond behind.
Tetbury. The last one is the oldest and most interesting.
Shown on maps by 1881, the earliest one I have access to for this region, it once piped water to Westonbirt House.
Fittingly enough the house was built with money made from supplying fresh water to London.
The entrance on the right leads to an empty ram hut - there’s a similar empty one on the other side of the valley.
Both were driven by springs and also pumped to the house.
The wheel is unusual having a single set of arms and the pump, made by Easton & Anderson, is reasonably complete.
I found a better preserved example of the same setup near Warwick (Hydraulic Ram Pumps #12).
A bit of digging uncovered a ballast tank and some pipework.
There are plenty more of these ancient pump houses if you bother to look for them.
