Report - Water wheel pump house - Staffordshire Moorlands - Feb 2022

[mingerocket]

This one was a nice surprise. I had set out to try and track down three hydraulic ram pumps that I had spotted on the old Os maps and after the first two turned out to be fails, the last one was not a hydraulic ram at all.
Hidden away in the trees and overgrowth was this quaint brick building with a slate roof. Inside is a rusted water wheel. It did not seem from what was left that this wheel would have driven a dynamo for electricity generation. but there is a small con rod on the end of the wheel hub that could well have driven a small reciprocating pump.
The wheel was fed water from the dam upstream and discharged back into the same stream once it had flowed over the wheel. I'm unsure whether this wheel and pump delivered water from the stream to the nearby farm or if the pump drew water up through a borehole. I'm going to guess it pumped the same water from the stream as drove the wheel as there was no evidence of a well or borehole and there is no entry on the borehole register.

No history to be found on this one and I can't say I've seen it crop up on here before.

A nice steady little explore that was well worth getting my boots wet for.
Hope you enjoy the pics

 

[Mikeymutt]

Bet it was lovely coming across that in that very unassuming building. That wheel is lovely.

 

[mingerocket]

Bet it was lovely coming across that in that very unassuming building.

Yes, more often than not, the ram pumps are either gone with no sign of their existence, burried in mud, in the middle of a swamp or have been scrapped with just a piece of rusty pipework left behind. This was a real treat after a disappointing day.

 

[urbanchemist]

Looks familiar - one of pumps in the first link below.

 

[mingerocket]

Looks familiar - one of pumps in the first link below.

Oh yeah, I hadn't seen that report. Bugger I thought I'd beaten you to it.
The one in Keele looks good and right on my doorstep.

 

[Calamity Jane]

Lovely stuff. Yep seems quite a few are buried in mud or swamps, I remember some of @urbanchemist reports, digging them out. But very rewarding.

 

[JakeV50]

That's a lovely little find, anything with a wheel is good by my reckoning!

 

[tigger]

Oh yeah, I hadn't seen that report. Bugger I thought I'd beaten you to it.
The one in Keele looks good and right on my doorstep.

What about the one upstream of this?...I don't think UC included that one.

 

[urbanchemist]

What about the one upstream of this?...I don't think UC included that one.

Didn't notice it - odd since it's right next door. Mr rocket should go and have a look.

 

[mingerocket]

Yeah I didn't see it either, to be honest I headed back after finding the wheel house. I might nip over this weekend and drag the family with me for "a nice walk"

 

[tigger]

If 'family' involves rugrats then I'd suggest you don't approach from the well.

 

[mingerocket]

If 'family' involves rugrats then I'd suggest you don't approach from the well.

I approached from the far side of the footpath upstream (what's left of the footpath anyway). After battling through overgrowth and even an electric fence a kind hearted farmer had fixed accross the route of the "footpath" I reached the well at the ford/roadside and had found nothing.
A fail of a day was rounded off nicely when I climbed over the fence at the roadside near the well house and fell on my arse in the Ford. There's nothing like an unplanned dip in river water at 8am Heated seats did a good job of drying the old taters off on the journey home.

 

[Grace1]

Lovely stuff. Yep seems quite a few are buried in mud or swamps, I remember some of @urbanchemist reports, digging them out. But very rewarding.

company more

Lovely stuff. really!

 

[Calamity Jane]

Lovely stuff. really!

Not sure if you are being facetious or not. But I know I am sincere in my comments. The above report is fab and rustic, nostalgic etc. All things positive.
I see you joined yesterday and only made one comment, this one! so I will take it as a positive comment, as I am that kind of person.

 

[Grace1]

Not sure if you are being facetious or not. But I know I am sincere in my comments. The above report is fab and rustic, nostalgic etc. All things positive.
I see you joined yesterday and only made one comment, this one! so I will take it as a positive comment, as I am that kind of person.

Yes, I wrote sincerely and with a positive meaning!