Pump House at Basing Fen

Summary

A water pumping station of around the late C18 to early C19, by Thomas & James Simpson with engine by Simpson and Thompson.

Reasons for Designation

The 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, is listed at Grade II, for the following principal reasons:
 
Architectural interest:
 
* as a late C18/early-C19 brick built pump house with a C19 water pump engine, both of which survive substantially intact.
 
Historic interest:
 
*  as  a rare surviving water pumping house and engine from before 1860 and one of a small number thought to survive from before 1850;

* as an example of the work of the water engineer, Thomas Simpson (1754-1823) and his son James Simpson (1799-1869), both of whom were, at separate times, manager of the Chelsea Waterworks and installed water supply solutions throughout England in the late C18 and early C19.

History

The 1791 Milne Map of Hampshire shows a building in the location of the pumping house and the Ordnance Survey map of 1873, shows a similar structure, labelled as a pumping engine.
 
The pump house and its pumping equipment are thought to have been designed and constructed by the water engineer, Thomas Simpson (1754-1823) and his son James Simpson (1799-1869), both of whom were, at separate times, manager of the Chelsea Waterworks. They delivered water pumping solutions across England, using cast iron pipes and pumping engines. In 1825 James Simpson entered into partnership with George Thompson to form Simpson and Thompson, engine makers and vendors.
 
The pump house at Basing Fen was probably funded by Lord Bolton who owned the nearby Hackwood House (Listed at Grade II*, NHLE 1092734), the core of which dates from 1680. The house is located in a Grade I Historic Park and Garden (NHLE 1000332) which contains a number of listed buildings.
 
Correspondence held at the Winchester Records Office (see sources) refers to water works at Hackwood and probably relates to the pumping station at Old Basing Fen. A letter dated 5 October 1794, from Lord Bolton to a Mr Dunn, refers to an account from a Mr Simpson for the repair of water works. The appended invoice from Thomas Simpson for 'iron pipes and repairing the engine at Hackwood for his Grace the Duke of Bolton' also appears to refer to works carried out in 1789.
 
An additional letter of 1821, from Lewis Wyatt, the architect for the 1810-13 enlargement of Hackwood House, concerns the water supply. It is addressed to the Rev Orde at Winslade (acting for Lord Bolton) and refers to a 'scheme for increasing the power of the engine to double the supply of water,' along with an accompanying estimate made by Mr Simpson. The correspondence also includes a letter of 1824, which identifies the need for a new water wheel.
 
The brick detail of the pump house may indicate a rebuilding in the C19, perhaps as part of the engine and water wheel improvement scheme of around 1824. It is no longer operational, but retains its wheel and pumping equipment. Sluice gates were located around 200m to the south-west, which would presumably have been opened up to power the pump when water was required at the house. The remains of brick walls to the waterway are visible on the north-east side, including a brick-lined culvert. The Basingstoke Canal was located to the south of the site, beyond the adjacent Swing Bridge Cottages, but this section has now been infilled.

Details

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.

Sources

Books and journals
Ellis, C M, Guide to Industrial Archaeology in Hampshire, (1975), .
Oliver, J, Oliver, M, Hampshire Treasures, (1972), Various photographs referencing Thomas Simpson

Websites
Grace's Guide to British Industrial History, accessed 2/8/2022 from https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/James_Simpson
Video of visit to the pump house, accessed 25/08/2022 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZQPyPOH4oo

Other
Milne map of Hampshire dated 1791, held at the Hampshire Records Office
Letter and invoice dated 5 October 1794, held at the Hampshire Records Office under reference 11M49/468
Letters dated 1821 and 1824, held at the Hampshire Records Office under reference 11M49/E/B1/15

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