Report - Borehole pump house, Waltham on the Wolds, Jan 2023

[mingerocket]

This one is nothing epic but it was a nice surprise. I found this borehole on the map and the report showed details of permanent pump equipment in place, which hopefully meant this place would be more than just a standpipe in a field.
So after a muddy trek across a field I was met with a small brick building completely buried in brambles. Once I had cleared the small window I could tell there was something inside worth taking a look at. Getting to the door way was a major pain in the arse though. I had to set about creating a tunnel through approximately a 6ft depth of brambles after what seemed like an hour of painfully removing the spikey shit from blocking the door hole i was able to crawl inside
Two cabinets full of switch and control gear make it clear that this was a borehole that extracted water via two submersible pumps, where it was pumped to from here is unclear but from the documents i found it suggests that this borehole was struck by the local water authority so it probably served a small reservoir somewhere at a higher elevation. The fact that two pumps were installed with an automatic switchover system should one fail to create flow/pressure reinforce the likelihood that this served more than a few properties. There are no dates on the panels but documents state 1954.
The small chamber within the building housed a couple of valves fed via a manifold from the two pumps. The top of the borehole is just outside the doorway and has a sketchy looking broken cover on top. Water can be heard running but after a very near dip in something similar in Macclesfield last week that resulted in one piss wet through leg and a skinned shin i didn't want to get any closer to this than necessary - especially with a depth of 36ft.

The manufacturer of the equipment "Berisford Pumps" were based in Birmingham and made a number of different pumps and door closing devices (the little lever thing at the top of fire doors)

Some history below pinched from Graces Guide

of Cato Street Works, Birmingham 7. Telephone: ASTon Cross 3256/7/8/9. Telegraphic Address: "Beresford, Birmingham" (1937)

of Marston Green, Birmingham 33. (1951)

1860 Company founded.

1912 Private company.

1937 Listed Exhibitor - British Industries Fair. Door Closers in various finishes, of various types and sizes. Also Spring Hinges and Brassfoundry. Closers are identical to those used on the door of the extensions of this building. (Stand No. A.503)

1937 Sanitary engineers.

1939 See Aircraft Industry Suppliers

1951 Patent - Improvements relating to the manufacture of stators for electric motors.

1961 Manufacturers of hydraulic pumps, railway fittings and equipment. 500 employees.

1963 Patent - Submersible electric motor.


The Photos

The rather sketchy borehole/well cover

The bramble tunnel

Borehole documents

Examples of Beresford pumps products

I had a successful day and this was one of 5 successes, and by far the most difficult one to get to.

Hope you enjoyed it as much as ive enjoyed pulling bramble spines out of my body over the last few days.

 

[Mikeymutt]

That's a nice little one. Looks quite a fight to get in it.

 

[Ojay]

Good effort mate, good to see this sorta stuff documented

 

[Calamity Jane]

Good job. You got some nice images there. The documents really add to this report. Hope you had gloves on, well done on getting through that lot

 

[HughieD]

Great work and thorny determination mate. Love this sort of off-the-beaten track sort of stuff. Know Waltham-on-the- Wolds well but didn't know this place.

 

[JakeV50]

I like that, right up my street. Just goes to show that the most mundane of exteriors can hold some beautiful features inside. You done well to get in looking at the overgrowth!

 

[gatopretorockey]

This one is nothing epic but it was a nice surprise. I found this borehole on the map and the report showed details of permanent pump equipment in place, which hopefully meant this place would be more than just a standpipe in a field.
So after a muddy trek across a field I was met with a small brick building completely buried in brambles. Once I had cleared the small window I could tell there was something inside worth taking a look at. Getting to the door way was a major pain in the arse though. I had to set about creating a tunnel through approximately a 6ft depth of brambles after what seemed like an hour of painfully removing the spikey shit from blocking the door hole i was able to crawl inside
Two cabinets full of switch and control gear make it clear that this was a borehole that extracted water via two submersible pumps, where it was pumped to from here is unclear but from the documents i found it suggests that this borehole was struck by the local water authority so it probably served a small reservoir somewhere at a higher elevation. The fact that two pumps were installed with an automatic switchover system should one fail to create flow/pressure reinforce the likelihood that this served more than a few properties. There are no dates on the panels but documents state 1954.
The small chamber within the building housed a couple of valves fed via a manifold from the two pumps. The top of the borehole is just outside the doorway and has a sketchy looking broken cover on top. Water can be heard running but after a very near dip in something similar in Macclesfield last week that resulted in one piss wet through leg and a skinned shin i didn't want to get any closer to this than necessary - especially with a depth of 36ft.

The manufacturer of the equipment "Berisford Pumps" were based in Birmingham and made a number of different pumps and door closing devices (the little lever thing at the top of fire doors)

Some history below pinched from Graces Guide

of Cato Street Works, Birmingham 7. Telephone: ASTon Cross 3256/7/8/9. Telegraphic Address: "Beresford, Birmingham" (1937)

of Marston Green, Birmingham 33. (1951)

1860 Company founded.

1912 Private company.

1937 Listed Exhibitor - British Industries Fair. Door Closers in various finishes, of various types and sizes. Also Spring Hinges and Brassfoundry. Closers are identical to those used on the door of the extensions of this building. (Stand No. A.503)

1937 Sanitary engineers.

1939 See Aircraft Industry Suppliers

1951 Patent - Improvements relating to the manufacture of stators for electric motors.

1961 Manufacturers of hydraulic pumps, railway fittings and equipment. 500 employees.

1963 Patent - Submersible electric motor.


The Photos

The rather sketchy borehole/well cover

The bramble tunnel

Borehole documents

Examples of Beresford pumps products

I had a successful day and this was one of 5 successes, and by far the most difficult one to get to.

Hope you enjoyed it as much as ive enjoyed pulling bramble spines out of my body over the last few days.

Love the detail especially the documentation, thanks