Engine House At Princess Of Wales Quarry

The Engine House at Princess of Wales Quarry is a historic building completed in 1872 and restored in 1976. It is constructed from slate stone rubble with brick dressings, and the top stage of the chimney stack is made of brick. The roof is slate with gable ends that were renewed during the restoration.

The building has a rectangular plan and features a chimney attached to the lower front left corner. The lower north elevation showcases the chimney stack, which has a brick top stage with a corbelled band and cornice. There is a tall narrow opening in the gable end with a round-headed brick arch. The left side wall has been partially rebuilt and includes openings at two levels. The right side wall features a large stone rubble plinth and timber lintels above the openings. The higher south elevation has a tall round-headed brick arched opening, which has also been partially rebuilt.

This engine house has an unusual design, as it was used for both pumping and winding. It was built to house a 50-inch Harvey engine that pumped water from a large pit below and hauled trucks from Bowthick Quarry across the valley until the quarry closed around 1913. After that, the engine house fell into disrepair until its restoration in 1976.