Dock Road Edwardian Pumping Station

Dock Road Edwardian Pumping Station
Dock Road Pumping Station
General information
Type	Pumping Station
Location	Northwich, Cheshire, England
Coordinates	Coordinates: 53°15′17″N 2°30′57″W / 53.2548°N 2.5157°W / 53.2548; -2.5157
Completed	1913
Design and construction
Owner	United Utilities

Dock Road Edwardian Pumping Station is a sewage pumping station in Northwich, Cheshire, United Kingdom. It was built in 1910. The pumping station has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II listed building.^[1]

History

Towards the end of the 19th century, Brunner Mond chemical company was provided new housing for their employees and Northwich sewage facilities were not adequate.^[2] The first sewers were laid in the town and discharged into the River Weaver, causing widespread pollution and providing no defence against disease. The Wallerscote Sewage Works was opened in 1902,^[2] and was successful in improving the conditions within the area it served. However there were large parts of the town that was too low-lying for sewage to flow to Wallerscote.

To solve the problem, Northwich Urban District Council built the pumping station next to the River Weaver at Dock Road in 1913.^[3] The station intercepted sewage before it entered the river and pumped it across the river to the top of Castle Hill and onwards to the Wallerscote Works.^[2]

The pumping station was in use for over 60 years and is now maintained by United Utilities as a monument that is open to the public.^[4]

Equipment

The station was equipped with two single-cylinder Crossley 'N'-type gas-fired engines and two Haywood Tyler triplex lift and force pumps,^[2] capable of pumping 9,600 gallons per hour. In the 1970s electric pumps capable of pumping 36,000 gallons per hour replaced these but the originals have now been restored.^[2]

References

1. ^ "Dock Road Pumping Station", The National Heritage List for England (English Heritage), 2011, http://list.english-heritage.org.uk/resultsingle.aspx?uid=1240202, retrieved 5 May 2011 
2. ^ ^{a b c d e} "Dock Road Edwardian Pumping Station". dockroad.org. http://dockroad.org/. Retrieved 2010-05-15.  ^{(pictures don't display)}
3. ^ "Dock Road Edwardian Pumping Station". Pauline Roscoe & Associates. Archived from the original on 2007-01-02. http://web.archive.org/web/20070102124027/http://www.pauline-roscoe.co.uk/dockroad.html. Retrieved 2007-02-20. 
4. ^ "Dock Road pumping station". United Utilities. http://www.unitedutilities.com/Dockpumpingstation.aspx. Retrieved 15 August 2010. 

External links

• Dock Road website^{(pictures don't display)}
• Getting Here website
• "Dock Road Edwardian Pumping Station". waterscape.com. http://www.waterscape.com/in-your-area/cheshire/places-to-go/142/dock-road-edwardian-pumping-station. Retrieved 2010-05-15.