Pump House at Basing Fen

A water pumping station of around the late C18 to early C19, by Thomas & James Simpson with engine by Simpson and Thompson.   MATERIALS: red-brown brick, beneath a clay-tile roof.   PLAN: rectangular, with the long sides aligned with a water course which runs south-west to north-east. Internally, a water wheel drove a pump engine to provide a water supply. The entrance to the station is probably to the south-east, but is obscured by vegetation.   EXTERIOR: the pump house has brick elevations laid in an English bond. The north-west elevation has a brick plinth of four visible courses, surmounted by a course of chamfered bricks. To the centre, there is a low-set opening under a segmental arch of brick headers. It has a sawn timber architrave and is braced horizontally and vertically by logs. The waterwheel and pump are visible through the opening.   The north-east elevation stands above the watercourse and has a much deeper brick plinth extending down to the water level, where there is a segmental arch of brick headers. Above, there is an opening with plain timber architrave and sliding shutter. The south-west elevation is of similar design but without the opening and it has the remains of a timber sluice gate at the water level. The south-east elevation is obscured by vegetation as is the roof. The rafter ends are visible and the roof appears to be hipped to the north-east and south-west.   INTERIOR: the building appears to have a floor or mezzanine above the pumping equipment level. The interior was inspected through the north-west opening and reference is also made to online resources (see sources). The cast-iron waterwheel has metal paddles and is located on the north-west side. Its axle passes into the pump frame engaging with a lower cog which in turn drives an upper cog. The cast-iron frame is embossed with the name of the manufacturer Simpson and Thomson. It has classical motifs and is embellished with moulded panels and corner columns. On the south-east side there are three stirrup couplings (driven by the upper cog) which drop down to drive pumping bellows beneath the water level.