Eastney beam engine house
Encyclopedia
Eastney Beam Engine House is a Grade II -listed Victorian
engine house in Portsmouth
, Hampshire
, England. Dating from 1887, it contains two 150hp James Watt & Co.
beam engine
s. The pumps were built as part of a plan to improve Portsmouth
's sewage system. The other element of the plan was large holding tanks which held the sewage until the pumps could empty them into the ebb tide
. The pumps have since been superseded by advancing technology but have been restored (in 1980).The restoration was funded by grants totalling £10,066 from Portsmouth city council, £4000 from Hampshire county council and £2000 from the Department of the Environment. The Engine House is now open to the public as a museum, owned by Portsmouth City Council (Museums Service) but operated by volunteers; consequently is only open on the last weekend in every month.
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
engine house in Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, England. Dating from 1887, it contains two 150hp James Watt & Co.
Boulton and Watt
The firm of Boulton & Watt was initially a partnership between Matthew Boulton and James Watt.-The engine partnership:The partnership was formed in 1775 to exploit Watt's patent for a steam engine with a separate condenser. This made much more efficient use of its fuel than the older Newcomen engine...
beam engine
Beam engine
A beam engine is a type of steam engine where a pivoted overhead beam is used to apply the force from a vertical piston to a vertical connecting rod. This configuration, with the engine directly driving a pump, was first used by Thomas Newcomen around 1705 to remove water from mines in Cornwall...
s. The pumps were built as part of a plan to improve Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
's sewage system. The other element of the plan was large holding tanks which held the sewage until the pumps could empty them into the ebb tide
Ebb Tide
"Ebb Tide" is a popular song, written in 1953 by the lyricist Carl Sigman and composer Robert Maxwell.-Recordings:* The best-known versions are by Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra , Vic Damone , Roy Hamilton , Frank Sinatra , The Platters , Lenny Welch and the Righteous Brothers...
. The pumps have since been superseded by advancing technology but have been restored (in 1980).The restoration was funded by grants totalling £10,066 from Portsmouth city council, £4000 from Hampshire county council and £2000 from the Department of the Environment. The Engine House is now open to the public as a museum, owned by Portsmouth City Council (Museums Service) but operated by volunteers; consequently is only open on the last weekend in every month.