Postcard reproduced by kind permission of Kathleen Thorpe. (from Facebook)
Anyone remember Pete Allen who worked and lived here? Quite a character! He wouldn't let me in his pump hall unless I took my shoes off. Mind you he did keep it very clean!
The pump hall was used for pumping water out of the borehole and then pumping it to Castle Donington service reservoir where it then gravitated via a 10 Inch diameter water main to feed Sawley and Long Eaton. In those early days it would have had steam driven pumps generated by either coal or oil. Looking at the chimney I would say they used coal. All a long time before I can remember. Electrically powered pumps in my day!
Water from adits going into the hillside fed into the well. There was also a tunnel / pipe going into the field opposite.
Anyone remember Pete Allen who worked and lived here? Quite a character! He wouldn't let me in his pump hall unless I took my shoes off. Mind you he did keep it very clean!
The pump hall was used for pumping water out of the borehole and then pumping it to Castle Donington service reservoir where it then gravitated via a 10 Inch diameter water main to feed Sawley and Long Eaton. In those early days it would have had steam driven pumps generated by either coal or oil. Looking at the chimney I would say they used coal. All a long time before I can remember. Electrically powered pumps in my day!
Water from adits going into the hillside fed into the well. There was also a tunnel / pipe going into the field opposite.