The Pump House

TQ 38 NE LOW HALL LANE

1802/2/10018 The Pump House

II

Sewage pumping station, now a steam engine museum. 1877 for Walthamstow Urban District Council, extended to west 1896 and present engines installed 1897. London stock yellow brick laid in Flemish bond with engineering brick dressings; slate and corrugated asbestos roofs. EXTERIOR: single storey. South front consists of 3 gabled ranges, the 2 to the east of 1877 originally. housing Tangey engine and pumps. Each of these with 2 round-arched cast-iron windows, single cast-iron roundels in apexes of gables, clasping end pilasters and a pair of central pilasters beneath rectangular chimney flue. West gabled element with 2 taller segmental-headed cast-iron windows and a blind tympanum above. Pedestrian doorway. Roofs with glazed panels and centre roof with raised and glazed continuous vent with a pedimented end gablet. Late C20 toilet block, not of special interest. North return with 2 similar windows to east build, and one segmental cast-iron window to west build, next to a timber loading door. INTERIOR: solid wall divides west area (boiler room) from remainder. Roof of west area of 5 tensioned steel trusses. 35" steel rolled steel joists inserted in C20 for lifting gear. Roof of east area: central valley supported on one 15" rolled steel joist resting on brick pilasters to north and south. 4 secondary 8" RSJs bolted to main beam (2 to each side), running north and south to rest on brick pilasters in east and west walls. No maker's marks visible. Above RSJs are tensioned steel trusses. Pipework for steam from boiler room remains, serving a balanced pair of Marshall C-type horizontal stationary steam engines driving a central flywheel (engine numbers 27384 and 27385). Condensers below floor. The building is notable for early use of structural steel and for the pair of 1897 steam engines.

Listing NGR: TQ3629688261