Brede Waterworks facts for kids
Brede Waterworks is a special place in Brede, East Sussex, England. It was built a long time ago to bring fresh drinking water to the town of Hastings. Today, you can still see two of the huge steam engines that were used to pump water all the way from Brede to big storage tanks in Fairlight and Baldslow.
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Why Brede Waterworks Was Built
Back in the 1890s, the town of Hastings was growing fast! More and more people needed water, and the town's leaders had to find a new way to get enough. After looking at a few places, a local expert named Thomas Elworthy suggested Brede. He thought it would be cheaper because it was closer to Hastings.
So, in 1897, Hastings bought a farm in Brede. They dug three deep wells to find water. Two wells are about 275 feet (84 meters) deep, and one is 200 feet (61 meters) deep. A special building was constructed to hold a giant steam engine. This engine would pump the water from the wells up to the storage tanks in Fairlight. Brede Waterworks officially opened in 1904.
The Mini Railway: Brede Tramway
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Building the waterworks was a huge job! To help move all the heavy materials, a small railway, called a tramway, was built. It was only 18 inches (46 cm) wide! This tramway ran from a dock on the River Brede right to the waterworks.
A special little steam locomotive was used to pull the building supplies. After the waterworks was finished, the tramway and its locomotive stayed. They were used to bring coal from the river to power the big steam engines. Sometimes, if the locomotive wasn't working, a pony would pull the wagons!
Even though it wasn't for the public, important visitors from Hastings would sometimes ride on the tramway. They would sit on straw and sacks in the open wagons. Later, the river became too shallow for boats, so the tramway's job changed. Coal then came from a nearby train station. Around 1937, a new road was built, and the tramway was finally closed down. In 1964, electric pumps took over from the steam engines, and the boilers were removed.
The Tramway's Locomotive
The small steam locomotive on the tramway was built in 1899. It was named Brede when it was new. It was a tough little engine, and it even got a new boiler in 1923 and was rebuilt around 1931. But by 1935, it was worn out and was taken apart.
The Waterworks Buildings
Brede Waterworks has two main buildings, each with its own style.
The Original Building
The first building was built in a fancy style called Baroque. It housed two massive steam engines made by a company called Tangye. These engines were incredibly powerful, each about 410 horsepower! They got their power from four huge boilers. One of these engines was removed in 1969, but the other has been carefully restored and you can still see it today! This building is considered a special historic building.
The Worthington-Simpson Building
In 1939, a newer building was added. This one was built in the Art Deco style, which was popular at the time. It's home to another giant steam engine, built in 1940 by Worthington-Simpson. When this new building was finished in 1942, the old boilers were replaced with two new ones.
The Giant Pumping Engines
The heart of Brede Waterworks was its powerful steam engines, which worked tirelessly to pump water.
- No. 2 Engine: This engine was built by Tangye in 1904. It's a "triple expansion" engine, meaning it uses steam three times to get the most power. It could pump an amazing 3.5 million gallons (15.9 million liters) of water every day, lifting it over 500 feet (157 meters) high! This water went to the reservoirs at Fairlight and Baldslow.
- The Worthington-Simpson Engine: This engine was built in 1940. It was the very last engine of its kind made by the Worthington-Simpson company.
The Boiler House
The boiler house was where the huge boilers created the steam needed to power the engines. Originally, it had four boilers. These were replaced in 1940 by two new ones. All the boilers were removed in 1964 when electric pumps took over. Today, the boiler house is a museum itself, showing off various steam engines and exhibits about how water is supplied.
Images for kids
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Boiler house interior
