Stretham Old Engine facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Stretham Old Engine
Location	Stretham
Area	Cambridgeshire
Built	1831
Listed Building – Grade II*
Official name: Old Engine House
Designated	13 May 1988
Reference no.	1127031
Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).

The Stretham Old Engine is a large steam-powered machine located near Stretham in Cambridgeshire, England. Its main job was to pump water out of flooded areas of The Fens. This water was then sent back into the River Great Ouse.

This engine is special because it's one of only three old drainage engines left in East Anglia. It's also a "Grade II* listed building," which means it's an important historical site.

Why the Engine Was Needed

For hundreds of years, people have worked to drain the low-lying land in East Anglia known as The Fens. This was done to create farmland. However, the land often sank after being drained, leading to frequent floods. These floods could wash away crops and farm animals.

Before steam engines, people used windpumps to move water. Windpumps are like windmills that pump water. But they weren't always strong enough to move large amounts of water. They also depended on the wind, so they couldn't work all the time.

A good example of an old windpump is at the Wicken Fen nature reserve. It helps manage the water levels there.

The Rise of Steam Power

In the late 1700s, steam power became a new and powerful solution. Steam engines could pump much more water than windpumps. Soon, these new engines started appearing all over The Fens to help with drainage.

How the Steam Engine Worked

The giant scoop wheel of the Stretham Old Engine

The Stretham Old Engine was built in 1831 by a company called Butterley Company. It cost about £4950, which was a huge amount of money back then. This single steam engine took the place of four nearby windmills.

The engine used a giant scoop wheel to lift water. This wheel successfully moved water from flooded channels back into the river for over 100 years. The engine was powered by coal, which was brought in by boats. It used a lot of fuel, burning about a ton of coal every four hours!

The Engine's Parts

The Stretham Old Engine is a type of machine called a "rotative beam engine." It has a large beam that is about 24 feet (7.3 meters) long. It also has a huge flywheel that is 24 feet (7.3 meters) across.

The scoop wheel itself was made bigger over time as the fenland continued to sink. The first wheel was 29 feet (8.8 meters) wide. It was later increased to 33 feet (10 meters) in 1850. By 1896, it was 37 feet (11.3 meters) wide. This powerful wheel could lift 120 to 150 tons of water every minute!

Keeping the Engine Running

Running the engine was a big job. Workers called stokers and superintendents had to be on duty 24 hours a day. They made sure the engine kept working smoothly. One superintendent even had a telescope in his window. This allowed him to watch the workers without having to go outside into the wet conditions.

A New Era: Diesel Power

In 1924, a newer, more modern engine was installed. This was a Mirrlees diesel engine. After this, the steam engine was kept only as a "standby" machine. This meant it was only used if the diesel engine broke down or during very bad floods.

The last major times the steam engine was used were during the big floods of 1939 and 1940. You can see a similar Mirrlees diesel engine at the Prickwillow Museum. It has been fixed up and still works!

Eventually, the pumping station was replaced again. Five smaller, more efficient electric pumps took over the job. These electric pumps drain water into the River Cam and are still used today.

Visiting the Engine

Today, the Stretham Old Engine is open to the public. You can visit it on Sunday afternoons and Bank Holidays. It's open from the beginning of April to the end of October, usually from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM. It's a great place to learn about old technology and how people managed water in The Fens.

Picture gallery

See also

• Pinchbeck Engine
• Dogdyke Pumping Station