Markfield Beam Engine and Museum

Coordinates: 51°34′55″N 0°3′42″W / 51.58194°N 0.06167°W / 51.58194; -0.06167

Markfield Road Pumping Station
Location Tottenham
London, N15
United Kingdom
OS grid reference TQ 34410 88782
Built 1886 (1886)
Original use Sewage treatment
Current use Museum
Listed Building – Grade II
Designated 1974
Reference no. 1358862

Markfield Road Pumping Station, now known as Markfield Beam Engine and Museum or sometimes just as Markfield Beam Engine is a Grade II listed building containing a 100 horsepower (75 kW) beam engine,[1] originally built in 1886 to pump sewage from Tottenham towards the Beckton Works.[2] The grounds of the building now form a public park known as Markfield Park.[3]

Markfield Beam Engine

Markfield Beam Engine is a free-standing steam engine with a 27 feet (8.2 m) flywheel that moves a 21 feet (6.4 m) beam. The beam drives two single-acting plunger pumps. Each pump is 26 inches in diameter and has a 51-inch stroke. When the machine was operational it had a working speed of 16 rpm and each pumps could move 2,000,000 imperial gallons (9,100,000 l; 2,400,000 US gal) a day.[4][5]

The engine is finely decorated, with doric style columns and acanthus leaves.

History

The 27 ft flywheel on display

The sewage works opened in 1864 - the engine was built in 1886 and commissioned in 1888, it was used continuously from then until 1905, when it was relegated to occasional duty for stormwater pumping. The works were finally closed for operation in 1964.[2]

Over £3 million has been spent on restoring the engine, building and surrounding grounds, a full restoration of the park was completed by April 2010, and the park, museum, and beam engine re-opened for public access. The funding was secured through various sources including the Heritage Lottery Fund, Football Foundation, DCLG and Big Lottery Fund.[3] The engine is now occasionally run for public display.[6]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Markfield Road pumping station.

References

  1. ↑ Historic England. "Pumping Station Building and Engine". Retrieved May 2016. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  2. 1 2 A P Baggs, Diane K Bolton, Eileen P Scarff and G C Tyack (1967). A History of the County of Middlesex. 5. London: Victoria County History. pp. 345–348. Retrieved May 2016. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  3. 1 2 Haringey Council. "Markfield Park". Retrieved May 2016. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  4. ↑ Markfield Beam Engine and Museum. "The Engine". Retrieved May 2016. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  5. ↑ Friends of Markfield Park. "About Markfield Park". Retrieved May 2016. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  6. ↑ Haringey Council. "Markfield Beam Engine and Museum". Retrieved May 2016. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
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