Situated on the summit of the canal near the small village of Crofton, this Grade 1 listed building houses two magnificent Cornish beam engines. The 1812 Boulton and Watt is the oldest working beam engine in the world still in its original engine house, and still capable of doing the job for which it was intended. The pumping station was built in 1807 to provide water to the summit of the canal. The first engine installed in 1809 was a 36 inch bore Boulton and Watt which had a wooden beam, in 1812 a 42 inch bore Boulton and Watt engine was installed beside it. Later the 36 inch bore Boulton and Watt was replaced by a Sims Combined Cylinders Engine constructed by Harvey of Hayle. Both engines are still in working condition, and steamed publicly on several weekends throughout the summer months. When the pumping station is in steam, it actually does the job for which it was built, the electric pumps that now do the job being switched off. |