Hatton Water Pumping Station And Chimney

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 07/12/2012

SJ 83 NW 953-0/4/2 25.04.80

SWYNNERTON COMMON LANE Hatton (north side) Hatton Water Pumping Station and Chimney

GV II*

Water pumping station and chimney. c1892, G Day Harrison, engineer to the Staffs Potteries Water Company, horizontal cross compound engine house added 1898, horizontal compound tandem engine house 1907, converted to electric pumps 1959. Polychromatic yellow brick with stone, red brick and terracotta dressings and hipped slate roof T-shaped plan of central S beam engine house with rear boiler house and chimney to its SE re-entrant, parallel E cross compound, and W compound tandem engine houses either side of the boiler house. Italianate style. 2-storeys and basement; 1-bay engine houses. Main engine house has rusticated pilasters to each bay, plinth, moulded stone string, dentil cornice and stone-coped parapet with urn finials. Entrance gable has steps up to a round-arched doorway with rusticated jambs, moulded archivolt, round-arched niches, with 2 narrow round-arched lights above. Decorative terracotta panels and niches with aquatic images of reeds, fish, cornucopia etc. To the rear a tall belvedere. Single-storey secondary engine houses in a similar style, with steps up to round-arched doors with flanking niches in the end elevation; 6-window side ranges of tall round-arched windows with glazing bars, rusticated pilasters and parapet. Single-storey boiler house has arched windows and gable ends. INTERIOR: The primary beam engine house contains the entablature beam support with 4 fluted Corinthian columns and the beam, and has a tiled dado; secondary engine houses have decorative tiled dados, moulded cornices along the imposts of the windows to support the gantry cranes, and have metal trussed roofs. Subsidiary features: Octagonal section chimney against the E side of the boiler house has a plinth and a wide terracotta cap. Further information: Originally contained a pair of compound rotative beam engines in the main engine house, which was completed in 1892; work continued for almost 20 years. Has strong group value with the First and Second Engineman's houses and office, and entrance gateway (qv). Historical note: An agreement with the landowner Basil Fitzherbert of Swynnerton Hall required a greater architectural consideration by the Company than was normal for waterworks. As such one ofthe most decorative pumping stations in Britain, though an anachronistic example of the Italianate style, and an important local landmark.

Listing NGR: SJ8294436994