Our Site
The Pumping Station Building and General Museum
Pumping station, adjoining cottage, and Lancs boiler/forge housing. The little brick building on far left is the modern DOE pumphouse. Also in view are the Marshall boiler, Simplex and Lister rail-engines.
(This page updated March 2008).
Our site contains the original pumping station, a separate single-storey exhibition hall and several outbuildings containing exhibits. The little bookshop and tearoom forms one end of the exhibition hall and a narrow-gauge railway runs along close to the embankment of the engine-rhyne, passing alongside the main hall and terminating at the car-park/picnic area. The whole museum is set in open countryside, with an abundance of wildlife and typical Somerset Levels scenery.
A freshly painted truck sits on the railway with the Lister engine.
The original pumping station building dates from 1830 and was the first one to be built on the Levels, following developments and plans by land-owners to control the flooding and draining of the low-lying fields. Built of brick, it still stands today, the only one surviving (in the area) with its pumping engine still intact and functional. It is a humble design, but English Heritage has graded it Grade 2* and it is at present on the "At Risk" register.
The building is quite substantial in size, with a 4-room extension (2 up, 2 down) added to the original, to improve the keeper's accommodation. Above the Easton and Amos housing itself is another large room that has been divided into two; one side looks directly out over the River Parrett.
Next to the main accommodation is a single-storey brick-built section, containing a forge and the old Lancashire boiler. The end of the building (nearest the leaning toilet) used to house the Coltman boiler, until it was decommissioned in 2004. This area is planned for clearance by removing the boiler and using the recovered internal space as a work and tools area.
At present, the entire building requires a great deal of renovation. We cannot open the majority of it to the public. The property offers a great opportunity to expand the museum, and tell more about the land drainage history of the region, plus the associated social life of the people who tended the pumping station from 1843 onwards to the 1950's.
Raising funds for keeping this building secure has been very difficult, since the Trust is a very small organisation. Its repair poses problems in some areas, especially ceilings, which are reed-and-plaster type and thus require specialist treatment.
This picture shows the condition of some of the ceilings inside the old property. They are made of reed and plaster and are thus expensive to repair, in keeping with heritage standards.
During late 2006, a firm committment to junk clearance was taken by members, and the living-room area of the cottage was completely emptied. The walls are wood-panelled to dado-rail height, and a period tiled fireplace is still in situ; almost undamaged. More repair work is required in this room, including the replacement of a few floorboards and general cleaning plus a bit of painting; but a 1930's/40's room set-up is envisaged eventually, making use of the furniture that was left behind when the station closed down in the 50's. This will still take time to do, but now appears to be much more a case of "when" than "if".
The pumping station as seen from the museum's yard; showing the chimney, original building's roof and windows (centre), cottage extension (left) and then below, engine house entrance.
