Tag Archives: Pump

Voices from the past: Our part in making cholera history

A lovely video podcast has been sent to me by Dave Moore of Lichfield Waterworks Trust about the pumping station in Lichfield that many people are surprised to discover, fed the Black Country with water for nearly a century. The … Continue reading

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All hands to the pump!

It’s really getting busy for top local history wonks Dave Moore, Chris Pattison and their Freinds of Sandfields Pumping Station campaign group, who seem to be really getting somewhere with this fantastic Victorian edifice; not only has their attention prompted the fixing of the roof recently, but the listing status of the building is now under review too.
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Saving Sandfields – August meeting tonight

The campaign to save Sandfields Pumping Station in Lichfield for the community continues to garner support. Local historian and activist Dave Moore has been putting heart and soul into this for some months now, and he’d like as many people as possible to get involved.
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Saving Sandfields – monthly public meeting tonight

The campaign to save Sandfields Pumping Station in Lichfield for the community continues to garner support – local historian and activist Dave Moore has been putting heart and soul into this for some months now, and he’d like as many people as possible to get involved.

Sandfields Pumping Station
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Friends of Sandfields – can you help?

The campaign to save Sandfields Pumping Station in Lichfield for the community continues apace – local historian and activist Dave Moore has been putting heart and soul into this for ages now, and he’d like as many people as possible to get involved.
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If the cap fits…

On Sunday I rode up Coppice Lane in Brownhills for the first time in a few weeks, and noticed that contractors for The Coal Authority – the body charged with monitoring and remediating historic mineworkings – had been hard at work capping the two shafts left over from the West Coppice Colliery, near the old level Crossing. 

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A memorial to the beam engines…

Here’s something I came upon by chance I think that not just the Lichfield and South Staffordshire Water contingents will like, but all those interested in steam engines, heavy plant and Victorian engineering.img009 Continue reading

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Anyone for tennis?

Further to the great material sent in by Marion Jones, relating to the lost pumping station on The Spot at Clayhanger, she also sent me some interesting photos of the gardens of the Jones House in Clayhanger in the 1920s.60437345 Continue reading

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Challenging landscapes

Today, I’ve mostly been trawling the paper mapping record for Clayhanger, in order to throw a little more light on the issues it faced in the post war years – debate about subsidence and flooding and the subsequent land restoration that occurred has been ongoing, and this is a really interesting bit of local history for me.

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Fighting a losing battle

Every now and then, something comes through whilst compiling the blog that stuns me, and pulls me up short. It’s happened twice recently – firstly with Chris Pattison’s wonderful 1952 Walsall Observer article on Clayhanger’s flooding problem, and secondly with this rare and beautiful gem from reader Marion Jones.
Wheale - Samuel Clayhanger pump 1923 (1)

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Purity was the gift

A couple of weeks ago, I alerted readers to a preview clip of a film that local historian Dave Moore was making in support of his Save Sandfields Pumping Station Campaign – well, yesterday Dave posted the complete film on the campaign blog.
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A film on the water

Dave Moore, late of this parish and tireless campaigner for all things local and historical is doing something really interesting for his Save Sandfields Pumping Statio Camapaign, and taking a really unique approach.Sandfieldsl Continue reading

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Next steps – Saving Sandfields meeting tonight!

Following the success of the inaugural meeting called to find a way to save Sandfields Pumping Station in Lichfield, a second meeting is scheduled for this Friday to officially set up The Friends of Sandfields Pumping Station group.Sandfields Pumping Station Continue reading

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Increasing pressure

Following my plug (and lots of others in the online community) for the meeting about Sandfields Pumping Station and it’s preservation, I was pleased to note that over 40 people turned up to the public meeting in Lichfield last night.

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Saving Sandfields – Public meeting this Friday!

The campaign to save Sandfields Pumping Station in Lichfield for the community continues apace – local historian and activist Dave Moore has been putting heart and soul into this for some months now, and he’d like as many people as possible to get involved.
Sandfields Pumping Station
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Poetry in motion

Apologies to Dave Moore, but he contacted me a couple of days ago about an event he’s putting on at Cafe Fuse, as part of the Lichfield Fuse Festival in Lichfield this afternoon – Dave is, of course, the passionate and educated local historian who’s working hard to rescue Lichfield’s Sandfields Pumping Station from decay.
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Serving all his days

FIFTY years of unremitting service in the employ of the South Staffordshire Waterworks Company is the proud record of Mr. Joseph Plant, of Christ Church Gardens, Lichfield, who has recently retired as foreman engine driver at the Sandfields Pumping Station.

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Gathering steam

The campaign to save Sandfields Pumping Station in Lichfield for the community continues apace. Dave Moore has been putting heart and soul into this for some months now, and he needs a little bit of help.

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Up for sale – The Swan Inn, Brownhills, in 1835

Peter ‘Pedro’ Cutler has played another blinder and found this auction advert in the Staffordshire Advertiser of Saturday, 31st October 1835. It advertises the Swan Inn and it’s not inconsiderable estate for sale. This was quite some holding, and would have … Continue reading

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Tenths

One of the wonderful things Gerald Reece sent me following our recent email exchange is a scan of  a compilation of tithe maps of western Brownhills. I wasn’t actually aware this existed, and it helps clear up a few things, … Continue reading

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The white heat of technology

Top local history ferret Peter ‘Pedro’ Cutler, is on outstanding form right now. Not only is he an ace Panoramian, he’s also thrown himself into researching the history of mining in Brownhills with some degree of gusto, and it’s much … Continue reading

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Engine Lane – more historical curiosities

David Evans is still actively researching the history of Engine Lane in Brownhills following the emergence of the auction notice found by Peter ‘Pedro’ Cutler last week. David has been chasing the Parkes and Otway connection with historical societies and … Continue reading

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Light in the darkness

This is just a quick one, as I’m absolutely knackered tonight, to be honest, but I just had to share this… One of the things that has always delighted me about doing this blog is the way that subjects and … Continue reading

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Mine, all mine…

Continuing the trawling of material relating to mining on Brownhills Common and the origins of Engine Lane, I happened upon a collection of survey plans in the excellent book ‘Coal Mining in Walsall Wood, Brownhills and Aldridge’ by Brian Rollins … Continue reading

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A hole in the history

If ever anything were to prove the importance of a detailed mapping record, than my post of Wednesday last, ‘Common ground’ does just that. Whilst dredging the available mapping for the area beforehand, the 1938 draftings were unavailable in the … Continue reading

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