One of the remaining hydraulic towers in the Mersey docks, the others I am aware of being at the Langton, Stanley, Wapping and Bruswick/Toxteth Docks.
There is also one at Edge Hill station as well as a huge example over the water in Birkenhead.
The function of the pump house was to provide dock machinery with pressurised water - in those days lock gates, sluices etc were operated by hydraulic machines.
The building consists of an engine house with an attached accumulator tower which acted as a pressure reservoir.
Inside the tower was a cylinder containing water with a heavy weighted piston on top - pumping in more water raised the weight maintaining the pressure.
Built in 1883 (HYDRAULIC ENGINE HOUSE AT BRAMLEY MOORE DOCK, Non Civil Parish - 1072981 | Historic England) it sits on a triangular plot to allow railway lines to curve past it - the dock was one an important coaling station.
The building is currently in a working sand storage facility (Mersey Sands/Cemex, but land probably owned by Peel) it is 'not accessible to the public'.
Dropped by on the way back from work to find that the Cemex guy was knocking off early as well (probably to the gym by the look of him) so lurked for a while then went in for a look. There are a couple of security cameras.
Circled the ground floor, but no obvious way into the tower with all entrances bricked up.
Looking through a window, the engine room is empty except for a substation.
Once inside the internal entrance to tower (on the left) was also bricked up.
So headed up the outside stairs…
..to the roof garden. Whole little microenvironment up here and rather a nice spot, hidden from the surroundings. Views of the main tower:
Sniffed the flowers etc. then over to the other building.
Not a lot to see in here but some nice views, west across the Mersey and south, renovation of the Stanley Dock tobacco warehouses still in progress.
And that's it. Disappointed not to have got into the main accumulator tower, but it seems to be all bricked up, and judging by the noise and the smell, home to many pigeons.
There is also one at Edge Hill station as well as a huge example over the water in Birkenhead.
The function of the pump house was to provide dock machinery with pressurised water - in those days lock gates, sluices etc were operated by hydraulic machines.
The building consists of an engine house with an attached accumulator tower which acted as a pressure reservoir.
Inside the tower was a cylinder containing water with a heavy weighted piston on top - pumping in more water raised the weight maintaining the pressure.
Built in 1883 (HYDRAULIC ENGINE HOUSE AT BRAMLEY MOORE DOCK, Non Civil Parish - 1072981 | Historic England) it sits on a triangular plot to allow railway lines to curve past it - the dock was one an important coaling station.
The building is currently in a working sand storage facility (Mersey Sands/Cemex, but land probably owned by Peel) it is 'not accessible to the public'.
Dropped by on the way back from work to find that the Cemex guy was knocking off early as well (probably to the gym by the look of him) so lurked for a while then went in for a look. There are a couple of security cameras.
Circled the ground floor, but no obvious way into the tower with all entrances bricked up.
Looking through a window, the engine room is empty except for a substation.
Once inside the internal entrance to tower (on the left) was also bricked up.
So headed up the outside stairs…
..to the roof garden. Whole little microenvironment up here and rather a nice spot, hidden from the surroundings. Views of the main tower:
Sniffed the flowers etc. then over to the other building.
Not a lot to see in here but some nice views, west across the Mersey and south, renovation of the Stanley Dock tobacco warehouses still in progress.
And that's it. Disappointed not to have got into the main accumulator tower, but it seems to be all bricked up, and judging by the noise and the smell, home to many pigeons.
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