Wall Grange Waterworks

The Staffordshire Potteries Water Works Company began work on constructing a pumping station at Wall Grange in 1847. A steam pumping engine was ordered from Sandys Vivian of Hayle, Cornwall. Unfortunately in November 1848 the ship carrying the engine was involved in a collision and lost. A new engine was built at Hayle and commenced work in September 1849.

This is the beam of the 1849 engine which was named "Stafford". It worked, along with a second engine "Davenport" supplied by the same firm in 1854, until pumping was transferred to three electric surface pumps in 1933. Both engines were scrapped in 1933.

The photograph comes from an album purchased in a sale and shows the beam of "Stafford" c1930. Note the lack of a cap on the bearing for the beam..