Crofton Beam Engines
Step into our industrial and social history from a time when steam was king
Annual Boiler Steam Test We recently had our annual boiler safety test inspection. It is carried out by an independent boiler safety inspector. The test is to make sure our boiler meets all the safety requirements. Part of the test is to check that the steam safety valve on the boiler is lifting at the prescribe …
Chimney Repairs The Grade 2 listed chimney at Crofton has not required any repairs since 1996, until now. In January 2023, we experienced torrential rain followed by a period of sub-zero temperatures. As a result, expansion of ice crystals within the mortar and brick had caused damage to the chimney, pointing and brickwork. The west …
Heritage Open Days – In Person Tours Sunday 17th September 2023 Non-Steaming Event. free Entry. Join a guided tour on Sunday 17th September to discover more about the industrial past of Crofton’s corner of Wiltshire for FREE! Built between 1807 and 1809, the Pumping Station supplied water to the highest point of the Kennet & …
An Engineering Update – Cancelled Monday 28th August Steaming Since a mechanical fault to the boiler feed pump ceased operations at our August Steaming weekend, our volunteers have been investigating the problem. The boiler water feed valve next to the boiler acts as a non-return valve. When the pumps are working water is fed through …
Tesco Grant Helps Crofton Beam Engines Tell its Story Bags of Help is one of Tesco’s local community grant scheme where the money raised by the carrier bag charge in Tesco stores is used to fund community projects. Following a vote from customers at Tesco’s Marlborough store, The Kennet and Avon Canal Trust was fortunate …
Crofton Beam Engines to the rescue. There was an unusually high level of excitement for four and a half days at Crofton Beam Engines last week. On Wednesday a request for help was received from Canal and River Trust, the water level in the Summit Pound of the Kennet and Avon Canal was found to …
Following the conservation audit carried out at Crofton in December 2021, funded by a grant from the Association of Independent Museums and Pilgrim Trust, we have been fortunate to obtain a further grant from the same organisations to help develop our skills and procedures. With this further grant from AIM/Pilgrim Trust, we were able to …
Crofton Beam Engines Mechatronics Crofton Pumping station on the Kennet and Avon Canal in Wiltshire houses the oldest working beam engine in the world and is still able to do its original job, pumping water to the summit of the canal. Our 1812, Boulton & Watt engine and our 1846 Harvey engine are regularly in …
We are thrilled to be a part of the Canal and River Trusts Virtual Open Day! This virtual experience brings you closer to the works that have been taking place since September 2022 along the Kennet & Avon Canal. The works, costing £1.8 million, will see the 40-year-old pumps, pipes and electrics replaced with a …
Crofton Rescue Exercise In November Stratton Fire Station rescue team from Swindon came to Crofton Beam Engines to perform a rescue exercise of an injured or incapacitated person from a platform deep down in a Well area around the pumps. Each rescuer descended down only using a harness suspended from ropes, the assumption being that …
Kennet & Avon Canal Fish Rescue The Canal & River Trust’s project to replace the pumping system at Crofton, which ensures the charity can keep the summit of the Kennet & Avon Canal topped-up with water for boats, will be completed this winter. The works, started in September and will continue through to March 2023. …
The results so far A trial steaming using Homefire Ecoal (partially made from coal with a proportion of ground olive stones) was held on 5 July 2022, having warmed the boiler through the previous day. The team of Crofton volunteers started their first test on the 120 year old Lancashire boiler. No one was really …
