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.

Photo: David Packman

Well Room - The well water is used to supplement the water entering through the culvert under
the building from Wilton Water.                                                          Photo: David Packman

Boiler House - A single Lancashshire boiler provides the steam for the engines. The boiler uses 1.25 tons of coal a day and heats 25,000 gallons of water to raise the steam for both engines.

Photo: David Packman

A small selection of stationary steam engines. Below a Marshall inverted vertical engine used in small factories. Marshall's are probably better known to the public as builders of traction engines.

Photo: David Packman

                                                                          Photo: David Packman

Crofton's clock was rescued from the Honey Street Boat Yard at Bath. The clock is said to have come
to the boat yard from a local church that burnt down in the mid 19th century.    Photo: David Packman

The cylinder head room contains the two large cylinder covers with their polished brass oilers, and the two stop valves that isolate the steam from the boiler. Behind the covers are the valves that control the sequence of the steam in and out of the cyclinders.                                            Photo: David Packman

Photo: David Packman

Beam Gallery - The beams, which are both made of cast iron, rock up and down eleven times a minute. The 1812 Boulton and Watt beam (left) weights 6 tons and the 1846 Harvey is a little lighter at 4.5 tons.

Photo: David Packman