Yet more hydraulic ram pumps in nearby counties before I loose track of them.
These are most of the remaining pumps in Staffordshire, including the West Midlands or Brumshire or whatever that bit is called.
Almost all of the remaining pumps were made by John Blake Ltd - 7 have appeared in previous reports, here are the rest.
a. Starting with a couple of rather bashed ones at the end of the gardens of Betley Court, near Crewe.
These appear between 1875 and 1898 after the stream which runs through the gardens was dammed to make a small pond.
The air tank from one has gone completely but these used to be compound rams (Blakes), powered by the lake but pumping another, purer source of water.
b. The next one has actually been reported before as one of several pumps in the Coombes Valley area, see Report - - Coombes Valley pumps, Coombes Valley, Dec 2021 | Industrial Sites.
Maps show it appearing between 1898 and 1922, consistent with the 1918 date on the ram hut.
It was installed for Sharpcliffe Hall about 500 yards away up a hill, powered by the stream in the valley, but pumping spring water to reservoirs above the hall.
c. A Blake in a locked hut near Stone, appearing between 1900 and 1922, which may have pumped to a farm.
Collection tank - the chain over the iron bar is to control the flow at the inlet pipe.
The ram wasn’t running but looked like it might be in working condition.
d. A Blake in the fields near Chartley Castle, appearing between 1901 and 1922.
The castle is a nice place for a picnic even if it’s not open to the public .
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Ram hut with collection tank behind.
The ram looks like it might still be in use, just not running - picture taken through a gap in the sleepers.
There’s another one which was still going, thumping away around the hill on the same estate.
e. There are three ram sites in the Dovedale valley, which is on the border between Staffordshire and Derbyshire.
The northernmost one is right on the footpath next to the River Dove and even has a tourist sign saying the ram pumped to farmland above.
Iron Tors is the name of the rocky outcrop overlooking this area, and is apparently where the last wild boar in Britain was shot.
The water to fill the collection tank may have come from the river - I didn’t check - and the Blake is missing a few bits.
The other site which had remains was a locked hut containing a collection of compound Blakes, mostly in pieces.
One or more of these probably came from an empty ram hut further south.
f. The next site is actually just over the border in East Cheshire, but I forgot it when doing the Cheshire roundup so it’s included here.
Two objects called ‘hydraulic pump’ - both turned out to be rams - are shown next to an artificial lake in the grounds of North Rode Manor House.
One near the side of the lake was present by 1871 and seems to have been fed by a spring, draining to the lake.
The hut was too flooded to tell what sort it is.
The other one, at the end of lake, is a Blake, near a well built overflow plug hole and culvert.
There are signs that there may have been something else next to the culvert although there’s too little left to tell what.
Interestingly, this estate apparently had a Victorian-era rainbow generating machine, presumably a pump producing a cloud of fine mist - not something I’ve come across before.
g. Finally, a typical example of the lot of the wandering ram hunter - little left to see.
A ram is shown near a lake in the grounds of Berkswell Hall, appearing between 1886 and 1902 and said to have pumped water to the hall from a well outside a church nearby.
Do come in.
Looks promising.
Oh dear.
These are most of the remaining pumps in Staffordshire, including the West Midlands or Brumshire or whatever that bit is called.
Almost all of the remaining pumps were made by John Blake Ltd - 7 have appeared in previous reports, here are the rest.
a. Starting with a couple of rather bashed ones at the end of the gardens of Betley Court, near Crewe.
These appear between 1875 and 1898 after the stream which runs through the gardens was dammed to make a small pond.
The air tank from one has gone completely but these used to be compound rams (Blakes), powered by the lake but pumping another, purer source of water.
b. The next one has actually been reported before as one of several pumps in the Coombes Valley area, see Report - - Coombes Valley pumps, Coombes Valley, Dec 2021 | Industrial Sites.
Maps show it appearing between 1898 and 1922, consistent with the 1918 date on the ram hut.
It was installed for Sharpcliffe Hall about 500 yards away up a hill, powered by the stream in the valley, but pumping spring water to reservoirs above the hall.
c. A Blake in a locked hut near Stone, appearing between 1900 and 1922, which may have pumped to a farm.
Collection tank - the chain over the iron bar is to control the flow at the inlet pipe.
The ram wasn’t running but looked like it might be in working condition.
d. A Blake in the fields near Chartley Castle, appearing between 1901 and 1922.
The castle is a nice place for a picnic even if it’s not open to the public .
Ram hut with collection tank behind.
The ram looks like it might still be in use, just not running - picture taken through a gap in the sleepers.
There’s another one which was still going, thumping away around the hill on the same estate.
e. There are three ram sites in the Dovedale valley, which is on the border between Staffordshire and Derbyshire.
The northernmost one is right on the footpath next to the River Dove and even has a tourist sign saying the ram pumped to farmland above.
Iron Tors is the name of the rocky outcrop overlooking this area, and is apparently where the last wild boar in Britain was shot.
The water to fill the collection tank may have come from the river - I didn’t check - and the Blake is missing a few bits.
The other site which had remains was a locked hut containing a collection of compound Blakes, mostly in pieces.
One or more of these probably came from an empty ram hut further south.
f. The next site is actually just over the border in East Cheshire, but I forgot it when doing the Cheshire roundup so it’s included here.
Two objects called ‘hydraulic pump’ - both turned out to be rams - are shown next to an artificial lake in the grounds of North Rode Manor House.
One near the side of the lake was present by 1871 and seems to have been fed by a spring, draining to the lake.
The hut was too flooded to tell what sort it is.
The other one, at the end of lake, is a Blake, near a well built overflow plug hole and culvert.
There are signs that there may have been something else next to the culvert although there’s too little left to tell what.
Interestingly, this estate apparently had a Victorian-era rainbow generating machine, presumably a pump producing a cloud of fine mist - not something I’ve come across before.
g. Finally, a typical example of the lot of the wandering ram hunter - little left to see.
A ram is shown near a lake in the grounds of Berkswell Hall, appearing between 1886 and 1902 and said to have pumped water to the hall from a well outside a church nearby.
Do come in.
Looks promising.
Oh dear.
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