Former Engine House At Engine Pond

The former engine house at Engine Pond is a single-storey structure built in 1737, with some alterations made in the 19th century. It features a combination of banded ironstone and limestone ashlar on the front, topped with a hipped pantile roof and a brick lateral stack. The building has a one-unit plan and a two-window range. There is a door located to the left of the center, with a wooden lintel that extends over a window to the right. There are indications of a previously blocked window or door. Additionally, there are two horizontal oval windows, now blocked, located below the eaves on either side of the central datestone. The eaves are overhanging, and the building is accessed via a path along the dam of Engine Pond, facing the water. A pump room is located at the basement level, but no machinery remains. This engine house once housed the pump and ram that supplied water to Castle Ashby and was approached by an avenue that aligned with the west front of the house, portions of which still exist. Both the engine house and the avenue are depicted on an estate map from 1760.