Papplewick Pumping Station hopeful of being removed from ‘at risk’ list following restoration project
The Papplewick Pumping Station near Ravenshead is the only pumping station with all its original features remaining in England
By Callum Wright
A Victorian industrial museum is hopeful it will be no longer be deemed ‘at risk’ following significant repairs to the site.
Papplewick Pumping Station, near Ravenshead in Nottinghamshire, was placed on Historic England’s register of significant cultural buildings in danger in 2022 after age-related deterioration was noticed in the site’s boiler house chimney, engine house porch and boundary wall.
The Grade II listed building was later awarded £518,000 in 2024 by Arts Council England to start a restoration project on the areas in need, and the station’s landlord Severn Trent Water also providing a further £58,840.
The site will open to the public visitors again in April after closing over the winter, and museum director Ashley Smart says the repairs were very important to keeping it in a good state.
“There were bits falling off the chimney and you don’t want bricks falling on your head, so we really needed to stabilise all of that and it’s in really great condition now – which should hopefully last it 25 years at a minimum,” he said.
“Same with the porch, there was serious rotting of the woodwork and that’s now been rectified and in great condition, to see those end results completed is really rewarding.
“With these works all now coming to an end, we should be off the [at risk] register.”
The site originally opened between 1881 and 1884 to pump drinking water to the City of Nottingham, which remained its purpose until it was decommissioned in 1969.
Now a static museum since 1974, the centre has received significant public support and donations, including from Colwick-based packaging company The Wilkins Group, which provided £1,000 to the site in February as part of their ‘year of giving’ campaign.
Talking about the support of the public, Smart added: “They’ve given their own donations which has all contributed towards the works, they’ve now returned and seen the finished works and a lot of them have been singing the praises on how good it is.
“The volunteers have been great, they’re making sure everything stays tidy and clean, everyone’s been pulling together, when you all pull together things get done better.”
The site is the only pumping station in England that has all its original features remaining, including an underground reservoir and boiler house, while also hosting weddings throughout the year and events where people can see the station in steam.
Volunteer Bob Meller, one of the engineers who has been on the site for 14 years, says having public contributions and support is vital to ensuring the pumping station keeps running.
“This is an incredibly expensive place to run, one of the big problems is that coal is now astronomical in price – seeing how we probably get through about three tonnes a weekend when we’re in steam, that’s a lot of money before you get anyone through the gates,” he said.
“If it wasn’t for volunteers, places like this wouldn’t function because it wouldn’t be able to pay a workforce, all the money is used to maintain the place.”
“Being put on the at risk register is the best thing that could’ve happened to us, it gave an incentive for Arts Council England to provide the grant, it was a godsend.”
The Heritage at Risk Register will next be published in November by Historic England.
Explore more
