The ram component of the remaining water powered pumping equipment in Oxon.
These pumps (all kinds) occur mostly in the north west corner of the county, in the foothills of the Cotswolds.
The hit rate was about average, 47%, with 15 rams found, including a few not marked on maps.
There are probably more, but there’s no way of knowing where they are.
Balscote. There were once a few in this area but this working Vulcan was the only one l found, taking water from a reservoir further up the stream.
Broughton. A compound Blake in a partially underground chamber near the route of an old mill race.
There was a reservoir for the drive water hidden in a bramble bush not far away.
Maps suggest the fresh water may have come from a nearby spring, filling the tank next to the ram.
The top of the chamber looked like it had been whacked by something - maybe a tractor drove into it.
Chipping Norton 1. A Blake near a stream, marked ‘pump’ in 1919 - there’s a ‘force pump’ shown at a slightly different location on earlier maps.
Chipping Norton 2. Carrying on along the same valley since it seemed a watery sort of place I came across the remains of a second Blake, not marked on maps.
It was getting too dark by this stage to start digging it out of the collapsed hut but it’s a compound ram.
Enstone. Another Blake in a sunken chamber.
A second ram is marked on maps uphill nearby, but I could find no trace - it may in fact have been the reservoir for this one.
Fringford. A Blake, near the foundations of a ruined pump house.
Heythrop 1. Another one in a sunken chamber, taking water from a covered reservoir further up the hill.
continued
These pumps (all kinds) occur mostly in the north west corner of the county, in the foothills of the Cotswolds.
The hit rate was about average, 47%, with 15 rams found, including a few not marked on maps.
There are probably more, but there’s no way of knowing where they are.
Balscote. There were once a few in this area but this working Vulcan was the only one l found, taking water from a reservoir further up the stream.
Broughton. A compound Blake in a partially underground chamber near the route of an old mill race.
There was a reservoir for the drive water hidden in a bramble bush not far away.
Maps suggest the fresh water may have come from a nearby spring, filling the tank next to the ram.
The top of the chamber looked like it had been whacked by something - maybe a tractor drove into it.
Chipping Norton 1. A Blake near a stream, marked ‘pump’ in 1919 - there’s a ‘force pump’ shown at a slightly different location on earlier maps.
Chipping Norton 2. Carrying on along the same valley since it seemed a watery sort of place I came across the remains of a second Blake, not marked on maps.
It was getting too dark by this stage to start digging it out of the collapsed hut but it’s a compound ram.
Enstone. Another Blake in a sunken chamber.
A second ram is marked on maps uphill nearby, but I could find no trace - it may in fact have been the reservoir for this one.
Fringford. A Blake, near the foundations of a ruined pump house.
Heythrop 1. Another one in a sunken chamber, taking water from a covered reservoir further up the hill.
continued
