Brede Waterworks
Encyclopedia
Brede Waterworks is a waterworks
at Brede
, East Sussex
, England
. It was built to supply Hastings
with drinking water. The waterworks still houses two of the three steam engine
s that were used to pump water from Brede to reservoirs at Fairlight
and Baldslow.
would be suitable. This site had previously been identified in 1875. Another site identified as suitable was at West Dean, East Sussex. However, amateur geologist and councillor Thomas Elworthy recommended a site at Brede, claiming that its proximity to Hastings would make the scheme cheaper. In 1897, Hastings Corporation purchased Church House Farm, Brede and sunk three wells
to supply Hastings with water. Two of the wells are 275 feet (83.8 m) deep, located north of the River Brede
while the third is 200 feet (61 m) deep and is located south of the river. A pumping station was built to house a steam engine
which pumped the water from the wells to a storage reservoir at Fairlight
. The waterworks opened in 1904.
was used to haul construction materials. Four three-ton bogie open wagons were also provided. On completion of the waterworks, the tramway and locomotive were retained to bring coal from the wharf to the waterworks to supply the boilers for the steam engines. A pony was the alternate motive power when the steam locomotive was out of service. Although no public passenger service was provided, the tramway did carry passengers on occasion when officials from Hastings Corporation visited the waterworks. Straw and hessian sacks provided makeshift seating in the open wagons. In the 1920s, the River Brede ceased to be navigable, and that section of the tramway was abandoned. Coal was brought in from Doleham Halt
on the Ashford to Hastings line
to a transfer shed built some 150 yards (137.2 m) north of the wharf. A road was built to serve the waterworks and the tramway closed c1937. The rails were later removed. From that date, coal was delivered by lorry directly to the waterworks from Hastings station
. In 1964, electric pumps replaced the steam engines and the boilers were scrapped.
steam locomotive
, supplied by Bagnall, works number 1560/1899. It was named Brede in its early days. A new boiler was fitted in 1923 and the locomotive was rebuilt c1931 when the water tanks required replacement. The locomotive was withdrawn in 1935 as it was worn out, and subsequently scrapped.
of Birmingham
. The engines were powered by four boilers which were built by Babcock & Wilcox of Lynchburg, Virginia
, USA. One engine was scrapped in 1969 but the second has been restored. The building is Grade II listed.
style. It houses a triple-expansion
steam engine built in 1940 by Worthington-Simpson of Balderton
, Nottinghamshire
. At this date, the four Babcock & Wilcox boilers were replaced by two new ones from the same source. The new building was completed in 1942..
Water supply
Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavours or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes...
at Brede
Brede, East Sussex
Brede is a village and civil parish in the Rother District of East Sussex, England. It is located eight miles north of Hastings and four miles west of Rye...
, East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It was built to supply Hastings
Hastings
Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
with drinking water. The waterworks still houses two of the three steam engine
Steam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separate from the combustion products. Non-combustion heat sources such as solar power, nuclear power or geothermal energy may be...
s that were used to pump water from Brede to reservoirs at Fairlight
Fairlight, East Sussex
Fairlight is a village in East Sussex, England within Rother district, three miles to the east of Hastings. Fairlight is also the name of the civil parish forming part of the Rother district which includes the villages of Fairlight and Fairlight Cove.The village of Fairlight lies on a minor road...
and Baldslow.
Background
By the 1890s, Hastings Corporation was faced with increasing demand for water in the town. A recommendation was made that a site at GlyndeGlynde
Glynde is a village in the Lewes District of East Sussex, United Kingdom. It is located two miles east of Lewes.-Estate:The estate at Glynde has belonged to four interlinked families: the Waleys , Morleys, Trevors, and Brands...
would be suitable. This site had previously been identified in 1875. Another site identified as suitable was at West Dean, East Sussex. However, amateur geologist and councillor Thomas Elworthy recommended a site at Brede, claiming that its proximity to Hastings would make the scheme cheaper. In 1897, Hastings Corporation purchased Church House Farm, Brede and sunk three wells
Water well
A water well is an excavation or structure created in the ground by digging, driving, boring or drilling to access groundwater in underground aquifers. The well water is drawn by an electric submersible pump, a trash pump, a vertical turbine pump, a handpump or a mechanical pump...
to supply Hastings with water. Two of the wells are 275 feet (83.8 m) deep, located north of the River Brede
River Brede
The Brede is an English river in East Sussex. It flows into the Rock Channel and then onto the River Rother at Rye, Sussex. It gives its name to the village of Brede, which lies between Hastings and Tenterden...
while the third is 200 feet (61 m) deep and is located south of the river. A pumping station was built to house a steam engine
Steam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separate from the combustion products. Non-combustion heat sources such as solar power, nuclear power or geothermal energy may be...
which pumped the water from the wells to a storage reservoir at Fairlight
Fairlight
Fairlight is a digital audio company based in Sydney, Australia. In 1979 they created the Fairlight CMI, the first digital audio sampler, quickly used by artists such as Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush, and Jean Michel Jarre. They are now a manufacturer of media solutions tools such as digital audio...
. The waterworks opened in 1904.
Tramway
Construction of the waterworks was aided by a gauge tramway which ran from a wharf on the River Brede to the waterworks. Rail was 16 lb/yd. A steam locomotiveSteam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
was used to haul construction materials. Four three-ton bogie open wagons were also provided. On completion of the waterworks, the tramway and locomotive were retained to bring coal from the wharf to the waterworks to supply the boilers for the steam engines. A pony was the alternate motive power when the steam locomotive was out of service. Although no public passenger service was provided, the tramway did carry passengers on occasion when officials from Hastings Corporation visited the waterworks. Straw and hessian sacks provided makeshift seating in the open wagons. In the 1920s, the River Brede ceased to be navigable, and that section of the tramway was abandoned. Coal was brought in from Doleham Halt
Doleham railway station
Doleham railway station is a small, single platformed wayside halt in East Sussex, England. It is on the Marshlink Line, and train services are provided by Southern...
on the Ashford to Hastings line
Marshlink Line
The Marshlink Line is the name given to services on the railway line linking Ashford with Hastings in the South East of England. The line was part of an original proposal by a company named the Brighton Lewes and Hastings Railway to extend its coast route to Hastings...
to a transfer shed built some 150 yards (137.2 m) north of the wharf. A road was built to serve the waterworks and the tramway closed c1937. The rails were later removed. From that date, coal was delivered by lorry directly to the waterworks from Hastings station
Hastings railway station
Hastings railway station is in Hastings in East Sussex, England. It is situated on the Hastings Line to Tunbridge Wells, the East Coastway Line to Brighton and the Marshlink Line to Ashford International....
. In 1964, electric pumps replaced the steam engines and the boilers were scrapped.
Locomotive
The locomotive used on the Brede Waterworks Tramway was a "Mercedes class" 0-4-0T0-4-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-0 represents one of the simplest possible types, that with two axles and four coupled wheels, all of which are driven...
steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
, supplied by Bagnall, works number 1560/1899. It was named Brede in its early days. A new boiler was fitted in 1923 and the locomotive was rebuilt c1931 when the water tanks required replacement. The locomotive was withdrawn in 1935 as it was worn out, and subsequently scrapped.
The original building
The original waterworks building was built in the Baroque style. It housed two 410 hp triple expansion steam engines by TangyeRichard Tangye
Sir Richard Trevithick Tangye was a British manufacturer of engines and other heavy equipment.-Biography:...
of Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. The engines were powered by four boilers which were built by Babcock & Wilcox of Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 75,568 as of 2010. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of the James River, Lynchburg is known as the "City of Seven Hills" or "The Hill City." Lynchburg was the only major city in...
, USA. One engine was scrapped in 1969 but the second has been restored. The building is Grade II listed.
The Worthington-Simpson building
In 1939, a new building was built in the Art DecoArt Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
style. It houses a triple-expansion
steam engine built in 1940 by Worthington-Simpson of Balderton
Balderton
Balderton is a village and civil parish in the Newark and Sherwood district of Nottinghamshire, England. The parish, which then included Fernwood had a population of 10,298 as of 2001....
, Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
. At this date, the four Babcock & Wilcox boilers were replaced by two new ones from the same source. The new building was completed in 1942..
The boiler house
The boiler house originally housed four Babcock & Wilcox boilers. These were replaced in 1940 by two Babcock & Wilcox boilers. These were scrapped in 1964. The boiler house currently houses various steam engines and exhibits related to water supply.The Engines
No 2 engine
No. 2 engine was built by Tangye of Birmingham in 1904. It is a triple expansion engine of 410 hp. It can pump 3500000 gallons (15,911,315 l) per day to a height of 515 feet (157 m). It supplied the reservoirs at Fairlight and Baldslow.The Worthington-Simpson engine
This engine was built by Worthington-Simpson of Balderton, works number 5058/1940 and was the last of its type supplied by Worthington-Simpson.External links
- Visiting the Giants of Brede - official site at Southern Water