Please help keep Crofton steaming in 2022!
Crofton Beam Engines is a unique site steeped in our industrial heritage. It is still capable of doing the work it started over 200 years ago – keeping the top levels of the Kennet and Avon Canal supplied with water. Crofton Beam Engines is a charity and runs by the hard work of dedicated volunteers bringing a wide range of skills to keep Crofton steaming. Although entry charges meet many of our day to day costs, we need to fundraise to meet the cost of major repairs and projects. We hope that you can make a donation, no matter how small, to keep Crofton working for the enjoyment and education of our visitors in the coming years.
If we are to steam again in 2022, we need to carry out work on the boiler this winter, which will cost around £30,000. Once this is completed, we would not expect any further major work for around ten years.
So please help us raise the funds to meet these costs. Thank you.
What has happened?
The boiler at Crofton is inspected annually to make sure that it is safe to operate. A full survey was undertaken in May 2021 to identify all the work likely to be needed to enable the boiler to continue in operation for the next ten years.
The recommended work includes:
- replacing wasted rivets, mainly at the back end of the boiler;
- restoring the rear furnace to tubeplate flanging, requiring cleaning and welding;
- removal of the Galloway tubes, which have wasted and are not needed for safe operation of the boiler, and replacing the sparge tube (which ensures that the boiler feed water is distributed evenly along the full length of the boiler; and
- carrying out a full hydraulic test on completion, to be witnessed by our insurance surveyor.
The work will be undertaken by H A McEwen, who have carried out work on the boiler previously and are the leading UK contractor for work on heritage boilers.
Ways to donate
Donate online
By text
- Texting CROFTON 5 (or 10 or 20) to 70085 to donate £5, £10 or £20. (If you would like to donate but do not wish to receive marketing communications, text CROFTONNOINFO 5 (or 10 or 20) to 70085.)
By bank transfer
- By bank transfer to The Kennet and Avon Canal Trust, 30-92-63, 00441822, with reference BOILER
Become a Member
- Make a regular donation by becoming a member of the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust
And of course you can make a cash or contactless donation during a visit to Crofton!
If you are a UK taxpayer, your donation is worth an extra 25% to us if you make a Gift Aid declaration. Either complete the Gift Aid Declaration (Word) and send it to us by email (to finance@katrust.org.uk) or download as a PDF and send by post to the address above – or simply send us an email including the information in the form in bold.
Donations made through this appeal will be used to meet the cost of Crofton boiler repairs. If the total amount raised exceeds the final costs, donations will be used for other KACT projects, at the discretion of the Trustees, but with a priority for projects at Crofton.
