Early 20th century water treatment works, Langford Water Treament Works, Langford (EHER 8014)

A water pumping station built in 1927 by the Southend Water Works Company and inaugurated in 1929. The Lilleshall Company Ltd. of Oakengates, Shropshire provided all three engines, the first commissioned in August 1927 was No. 276 Brassey, and the second commissioned in January 1931 was No. 277 Francis. Both of these were scrapped along with the boilers and chimney after the pumping station became redundant in 1963. The remaining extant engine is No. 282 Marshall which was commissioned in January 1931 and, like the other two, is a steam-driven triple expansion rotative pumping engine with a capacity of 4.4 million gallons per day. T. and C. Hawksley built the works in 1927 to extract water from the Rivers Chelmer, Ter and Blackwater. Water is piped from three intakes to a sedimentation reservoir, where it settles for 8-9 days, then flows under gravity to the pumping station. From here it is pumped to a purification plant, then under gravity to an equalizing reservoir, and returned to the pumping station, where it is pumped to Oakwood Services Reservoir, 14 miles away. The site also contains newer pumping stations, reservoirs and housing, with newer development focussed in the west. This site retains rare evidence of in situ technology and was deemed a Scheduled Ancient Monument in August 1985.

Pumping station. <1> August 1985. Scheduled Ancient Monument One of three pumping engines installed for Southend Waterworks Company from 1927-1931. A steam-driven vertical triple expansion rotative pumping engine, with a maximum pumping capacity of 4.4 million gallons a day. 'Marshall' no. 282 was commissioned in 1931, and was manufactured by the Lilleshall Co Ltd., Oakengates, Shropshire. The engines were worked in pairs, each operated 3 high lift pump plungers placed immediately below the steam cylinders and has an extended crankshaft carrying a triple ram low lift pump. The engine is housed in a two-colour brick engine hall with attached boiler house. The whole is on an 'L-shaped' plan with a glass roof. 'Marine type triple expansion engines were the last generation of prime mover in water extraction, but only very few examples survive nationally. No more than six sets in fact. Their significance goes beyond the water industry. They were very common in ships of all sizes until the First World War when the turbine took over. Even fewer survive in this context'. The building appears in reasonable condition, with no apparent problems of vandalism or deterioration to the fabric. The gardens surrounding the station are well maintained. A large amount of rusty machinery has been stacked adjacent to the building, but the engine inside looks well oiled. <2> <3> Site Assessment: One of only six sets surviving of 'the last generation of prime mover in water extraction... The protection of all known examples is paramount to ensure the active preservation of this most important type'. <2> This is the extensive site of a water treatment works adjacent to the Rivers Chelmer and Blackwater consisting of a number of structures of various ages and hence of differing significance. Southend Waterworks first developed the site in the late 1920s and the former pumping station dates from that first period of development. The building is of polychromatic bricks and the engine hall has roof lights. Windows, mainly tall semi-circular arched ones split into rectangular ones with the arched ones above, and doors are set in a variety of arches. There are also oculi in the north and south gable ends and circular windows over sets of three arched windows in the north façade. This engine hall and attached boiler house contains one of the three original pumping engines. The Lilleshall Company Ltd. of Oakengates, Shropshire provided all three engines, the first commissioned on 29th August 1927 was No. 276 Brassey and the second commissioned on 9th January 1931 was No. 277 Francis. Both of these were scrapped along with the boilers and chimney after the pumping station became redundant in 1963. The extant engine is No. 282 Marshall which was commissioned on 13th January 1931 and, like the other two, is a steam-driven triple expansion rotative pumping engine with a capacity of 4.4 million gallons per day. The cylinders are of 20 inch, 35 inch and 56 inch bore respectively and have a stroke of 42 inches. The engine operated three high lift pump plungers and three low lift pumps which first transferred water from the sedimentation reservoirs and then forced untreated water to the treatment plant. Adjacent to the pump house is a small building of similar design and also a circular raised filter bed with distributor. The site also contains newer pumping stations, reservoirs and housing. Developed from 1927, this site retains rare evidence of in situ technology. The building retains much of its integrity and later phases of development are represented to the west. Marine type triple expansion steam engines were the last generation of prime mover in water extraction and only six sets survive nationally. Langford is therefore of major national importance and is one of only four sites identified during the survey with demonstrable in situ historic machinery (see EHER 15575, EHER 15579 and EHER 15580). <4> See also <5>. The pumping station boasted a 150-feet tall hexagonal chimney that was a landmark for nearly forty years before it was demolished in 1966. Complete coal-handling gear was provided for feeding fuel to the chain grate stokers of the boilers, the arrangement being designed to provide ‘maximum convenience with a minimum of labour effort’. The Southend Water Company was also keen to point out that the works were ‘electronically lighted’, power being provided for both the pumping station and the treatment plant by three 80kw steam-driven direct-coupled generators. The total cost of the works was £1,108,719. In 1960, in order to maintain an efficient water supply, the Company decided to go ahead and replace the steam plant at Langford with three semi-automatic electrically operated pump sets. On 31st October 1963 the steam pumping engines were shut down for the last time. The new machinery could handle a maximum daily capacity in excess of eight million gallons of treated water. In the late 1960s, the company decided that it was time to abandon the original works and construct a brand new complex on a site adjacent to the storage reservoirs. The new works were completed in 1970 at a cost of £1.5m and officially opened on 30th June that year. The new Langford plant had a maximum capacity of twelve million gallons per day. In subsequent years further expansion of plant has been undertaken and, at one time, it seemed as though the original pumping station would simply fall into decay. (The treatment plant at the other end of the village had long since been demolished.) But then, in 1996 the local press announced a ‘Museum plan for pumping station’, revealing plans for the former pumping station to become the home of ‘a unique power museum.’ In December 1996 museum organizers were given the go-ahead. <6> NRHE data transfer: Waterworks inaugurated in 1929. These works, built by Southend Water Works Co, still contain triple-expansion steam engine No 282 by Lilleshall, Oakengates, built 1927. <7> See also <8>. Recorded by NRIM. Photographed. <9> <10> NRHE summary description: Water pumping station built in 1927 by the Southend Water Works Company and inaugurated in 1929. Triple-expansion steam engine No 282 by Lilleshall, Oakengates remains in situ. T and C Hawksley built the works in 1927 to extract water from the Rivers Chelmer, Ter and Blackwater. Water is piped from three intakes to a sedimentation reservoir, where it settles for 8-9 days, then flows under gravity to the pumping station. From here it is pumped to a purification plant, then under gravity to an equalizing reservoir, and returned to the pumping station, where it is pumped to Oakwood Services Reservoir, 14 miles away.