Report - Crowgutter pump house, Consall, Mar 2020

[mingerocket]

I cam across some old photos of this place on my phone and thought they may be of interest. When researching places using old os maps I had often noticed the label "Hydraulic ram" and wondered what it may be, especially as no modern os map ever has these labels.
So after some research I found the answer on good old Wikipedia (link below if you are interested) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydraulic_ram

One such Hydraulic ram is shown on an os map of Consall, about 3 miles from my house in some woodland that I'd often walked through yet I'd never seen anything of interest (hardly surprising when you realise how small these pumps and the buildings that house them can be)
Earlier maps show "spring" with a footpath towards Chapel House and later maps since show "hydraulic ram" at the same place.

I can't find any history on this specific pump house which is hardly surprising as these things were installed to serve single properties or farms. From the paths shown on the old maps I would have to say it was the property of Chapel House and fed springwater up to the property.

So after leaving the footpath and trudging around in brambles overgrowth for what seemed like hours I found the ground next to the stream had started to become boggy (sign of a spring) to my surprise the pump house was just a few feet from me yet so overgrown and disguised with moss that you would never find it if the trees were in full leaf. This is no bad thing as it is completely unmolested. Unfortunately the pump has gone, probably weighed in for scrap years ago but on the associated pipework and even a hook with spare diaphragms and o rings we're still in place.
Hardly an explore but some nice decay and a nice quirky little building.

 

[alex17595]

Theres a number of pumps in that area, notably the one at froghall which has some large pipe bridges

Is it possible it was something to do with the mill next to the canal?

 

[urbanchemist]

Well worth looking out for these ram pumps since as you say they used to be quite common.

The only working one I've seen was in Florence House - a NT property in NI. There's a closer one at Erdigg, another NT place, but it was dribbling rather than thumping the last time I was there.

 

[mingerocket]

Theres a number of pumps in that area, notably the one at froghall which has some large pipe bridges

Is it possible it was something to do with the mill next to the canal?

Unlikely, this type of pump pumps water very slowly. The mill had a mill pond with weir, waterfall and sluice gates for power. The pond a waterfall are still there but the structure is on borrowed time.
You may be right about Froghall though. I thought the pipe bridge over the canal was a gas main though?
There are springs all down the Churnet Valley with some modern electric well pumps just outside Cheddleton. There are also the remains of 4 pump houses not to far from them

 

[mingerocket]

Well worth looking out for these ram pumps since as you say they used to be quite common.

The only working one I've seen was in Florence House - a NT property in NI. There's a closer one at Erdigg, another NT place, but it was dribbling rather than thumping the last time I was there.

The only other one I've seen was also at a NT property. There cant be many left nowadays

 

[HughieD]

Nice little bijou explore that...

 

[alex17595]

Unlikely, this type of pump pumps water very slowly. The mill had a mill pond with weir, waterfall and sluice gates for power. The pond a waterfall are still there but the structure is on borrowed time.
You may be right about Froghall though. I thought the pipe bridge over the canal was a gas main though?
There are springs all down the Churnet Valley with some modern electric well pumps just outside Cheddleton. There are also the remains of 4 pump houses not to far from them

It could be a gas main but why would It has large bridges for it? I think theres a big black pipe on ground level next to the canal which is the gas main. I was referring to the higher level pipe which leads to an on pump house where water is literally pissing out the ground

 

[mingerocket]

It could be a gas main but why would It has large bridges for it? I think theres a big black pipe on ground level next to the canal which is the gas main. I was referring to the higher level pipe which leads to an on pump house where water is literally pissing out the ground

I've not seen that one. I will have a look next time I walk past

 

[Calamity Jane]

Looks like a nice mooch, some interesting info coming out from this report

 

[tigger]

Some people will know one of my 'things' is water power....that includes hydraulic ram pumps.

First thing - modern maps do still use Hydraulic Ram Pump as a label...there just aren't as many (though the number is increasing again).
For example:

The pump house at Crowgutter used to contain a Blake's Hydram Type B and supplied Belmont Hall. The type B pumps are a compound design which allows clean water to be kept separate from the drive water supply. The more basic hydrtaulic ram pumps part of the drive water.

Rather than start a new thread and because it's mentioned by @urbanchemist I can give a bit more info about the extant one at Erdig
Supplied direct by John Blake it's a Type B compound Hydram and was installed to supply 10000 gallons of spring water a day to storage tanks in the roof of the Hall. 90 foot lift height. Drive water is from the 'cup and saucer' weir water feature.
A few years ago during heavy storms the spring which supplied the clean water changed course thus rendering the pump useless.

This is it just after the storm cut it's clean water supply.

Restored again a couple of years ago by the National Tax Dodgers it now pumps water up to the gardens (roof tanks were removed years ago I think).

There were two other Hydrams on the estate but neither survive (though the pit that held one of them can be made out if you know what you are looking for and don't mind battling the overgrowth!).

Weston Zoyland waterworks museum has two Hydrams, an A and a B
(photo via their website, Type B to the right)

There are many other manufacturers versions dotted about but the two most common are Hydram (Blake) and Vulcan (Green & Carter). Both of these companies exist and make/service the pumps. Green and Carter dfonated a collection of pumps to Heligan Gardens (unfortunately I've not visited since then)...Heligan also had some pumps and they have been restored.
Plenty of interesting ones in other countries too but it's time to stop this tangential reply before I get carried away

 

[mingerocket]

Thats interesting to find out, I was hoping to find the pump in place but no luck. So that pump will have been driven by the stream adjacent and then pump water from the little well?
They're a fantastic piece of engineering. I'm hoping to track a few more down. There are alot of borehole pumps not too far from this spot too.
I have a similar fascination with pump houses and waterworks and the function over form architecture that comes with it.

 

[mingerocket]

Some people will know one of my 'things' is water power....that includes hydraulic ram pumps.

First thing - modern maps do still use Hydraulic Ram Pump as a label...there just aren't as many (though the number is increasing again).
For example:

The pump house at Crowgutter used to contain a Blake's Hydram Type B and supplied Belmont Hall. The type B pumps are a compound design which allows clean water to be kept separate from the drive water supply. The more basic hydrtaulic ram pumps part of the drive water.

Rather than start a new thread and because it's mentioned by @urbanchemist I can give a bit more info about the extant one at Erdig
Supplied direct by John Blake it's a Type B compound Hydram and was installed to supply 10000 gallons of spring water a day to storage tanks in the roof of the Hall. 90 foot lift height. Drive water is from the 'cup and saucer' weir water feature.
A few years ago during heavy storms the spring which supplied the clean water changed course thus rendering the pump useless.

This is it just after the storm cut it's clean water supply.

Restored again a couple of years ago by the National Tax Dodgers it now pumps water up to the gardens (roof tanks were removed years ago I think).

There were two other Hydrams on the estate but neither survive (though the pit that held one of them can be made out if you know what you are looking for and don't mind battling the overgrowth!).

Weston Zoyland waterworks museum has two Hydrams, an A and a B
(photo via their website, Type B to the right)

There are many other manufacturers versions dotted about but the two most common are Hydram (Blake) and Vulcan (Green & Carter). Both of these companies exist and make/service the pumps. Green and Carter dfonated a collection of pumps to Heligan Gardens (unfortunately I've not visited since then)...Heligan also had some pumps and they have been restored.
Plenty of interesting ones in other countries too but it's time to stop this tangential reply before I get carried away

Thats interesting to find out, I was hoping to find the pump in place but no luck. So that pump will have been driven by the stream adjacent and then pump water from the little well?
They're a fantastic piece of engineering. I'm hoping to track a few more down. There are alot of borehole pumps not too far from this spot too.
I have a similar fascination with pump houses and waterworks and the function over form architecture that comes with it.

 

[Alley]

Lovely find. Nice when research pays off.