Introduction
Life has got in the way recently so I haven’t been doing much exploring this summer, so I haven’t been on full form. I’m hoping I will now have some more time to get some more bits done over the next few months. This was one of a couple of sites I checked out up in North Norfolk recently and was a pleasant surprise.
Information & History
The six-bedroom Flitcham Hall sits on the edge of the Sandringham Estate which is owned by the monarch. The hall has a private water supply which is extracted from a nearby stream which runs south of the village of Flitcham. There are two pumping installations here, one disused building and a larger building which is presumably still used.
The Explore
I parked within the village and started walking towards the pump house, I found this one on OS Maps and wasn’t sure what to expect as I could only find satellite imagery on the place. To my surprise, all the land was public access and the pump house itself was unlocked, which surprised me being near a public footpath.
Photos
The older, smaller setup sits within a dilapidated hut containing what looks to be a reciprocating pump powered by a small wooden water wheel.
The modern setup consists of four electric pump and motor setups with their associated switchgear and pipes in a larger pre-fab style structure. I didn’t stay too long in here as the entrance to the pump house is in direct view of the hall, so the photos aren’t the best.
All pumps were identical and looked to be manufactured by French pump manufacturer Pompes Guinard. The electric motor closest to the entrance however looked different to the others.
I’m not sure of the status of the modern pump house, none of the pumps were running but some of the pipe fixtures look quite new, so perhaps it is used occasionally or used as a backup system.
The surrounding area was lovely, the sound of the water rushing downstream and the trees swaying in the wind made for quite a peaceful atmosphere.
All in all, a pleasant walk and an interesting explore (if you’re sad like me and you’re into pumps!)
Thanks for looking.
Life has got in the way recently so I haven’t been doing much exploring this summer, so I haven’t been on full form. I’m hoping I will now have some more time to get some more bits done over the next few months. This was one of a couple of sites I checked out up in North Norfolk recently and was a pleasant surprise.
Information & History
The six-bedroom Flitcham Hall sits on the edge of the Sandringham Estate which is owned by the monarch. The hall has a private water supply which is extracted from a nearby stream which runs south of the village of Flitcham. There are two pumping installations here, one disused building and a larger building which is presumably still used.
The Explore
I parked within the village and started walking towards the pump house, I found this one on OS Maps and wasn’t sure what to expect as I could only find satellite imagery on the place. To my surprise, all the land was public access and the pump house itself was unlocked, which surprised me being near a public footpath.
Photos
The older, smaller setup sits within a dilapidated hut containing what looks to be a reciprocating pump powered by a small wooden water wheel.
The modern setup consists of four electric pump and motor setups with their associated switchgear and pipes in a larger pre-fab style structure. I didn’t stay too long in here as the entrance to the pump house is in direct view of the hall, so the photos aren’t the best.
All pumps were identical and looked to be manufactured by French pump manufacturer Pompes Guinard. The electric motor closest to the entrance however looked different to the others.
I’m not sure of the status of the modern pump house, none of the pumps were running but some of the pipe fixtures look quite new, so perhaps it is used occasionally or used as a backup system.
The surrounding area was lovely, the sound of the water rushing downstream and the trees swaying in the wind made for quite a peaceful atmosphere.
All in all, a pleasant walk and an interesting explore (if you’re sad like me and you’re into pumps!)
Thanks for looking.
