Papplewick Pumping Station

Papplewick Pumping Station stands in open farmland about five kilometres from the Nottinghamshire village of Papplewick. Built between 1881 and 1884, it was designed to lift water from deep sandstone wells and send it on to Nottingham. Two massive beam engines, driven by steam from six Lancashire boilers, worked inside Gothic Revival buildings. The engines and boilers remained almost unchanged until the station closed in 1969. After decommissioning, a trust was formed to keep the site safe and later to bring the engines back to life. The station is worth the journey because both beam engines are steamed several times each year. One engine was first run again in 1975, and the second has since been restored. The site also holds other engines that are demonstrated on steaming days. A major restoration finished in 2005, paid for by a £1.6 million grant, repaired the buildings and added new visitor facilities. The pumping station is now a scheduled monument and a grade II* listed structure. Visitors find two huge beam engines in the engine house, with ornate cast-iron fittings and stained-glass windows. Outside, a cooling pond with scalloped edges and a central fountain reflects the Gothic Revival style. The boiler house has fireproof slate roofs fixed with lead nails. Nearby stands the old covered reservoir, built by Thomas Hawksley in 1880, now disused but still impressive. The whole site shows how steam, water and Victorian engineering came together to supply a growing city.