For many years the principal form of pump used to drain the Fens was a scoop wheel comprising an array of flat wooden paddles rotating in a narrow slot and capable of lifting a surprisingly large mass of water through a height of a few feet (eg, the pump at Dogdyke could raise 25 tons per minute).

Initially these scoop wheels were wind-powered then steam was introduced.

By the time that diesel engine power came into use the more efficient centrifugal pump had been developed and scoop wheels largely disappeared.

This example of a scoop wheel was photographed in 1972 at Amber Hill.

It is standing adjacent to the brick tower of the wind engine which powered it.

Chris Lester, 1972

Hundreds of wind-powered drainage pumps once lined the rivers and drains in the Fens, of which this is the principal survivor.

This engine was probably built in the late eighteenth century and was taken out of use when steam powered pumping stations were introduced in the 1840s. It was originally about twice the current height and would have worked with four sails.

The wooden scoop wheel has been restored in recent years.

Location of mill: TF 229 460

Dirtness Pumping Station (SE 749098) was built in 1867 in polychrome brick on the North Engine Drain between the parishes of Crowle and Belton on the Isle of Axholme.

It housed two 50hp Watt engines driving a 33ft (10.1m) diameter scoop wheel which was capable of lifting 1200 tonnes of water per hour.

It is still in use with electric pumps.

This sluice controls the tidal outfall of the South Forty Foot Drain, a major drainage channel running from the west.

There has been a sluice here from the mid-seventeenth century. The current pumping machinery was installed in the 1960s.

The Witham Navigation was created in the 1760s and ended at the Grand Sluice, with the tidal haven beyond the sluice.

The Great Northern Railway crossed the river at this point and by the date of this picture the river was used for recreation rather than commerce, as these rowing boats show.

The road on the right-hand bank is the present B1183 to Horncastle; the public house on the extreme right is thought to be the Cowbridge House Inn.

Hundreds of anglers travelled by train from Sheffield and the Midlands for sport in both the Witham and the fenland drains at this time.

Witham Fourth District Internal Drainage Board offices located on Norfolk Street.

In 1930 the Land Drainage Act was passed setting up Catchment Boards and internal Drainage Boards. First meeting of the Board at the new Norfolk Street offices was in September 1936.

https://www.w4idb.co.uk/about-us/our-history/  

DB 31 March 2022

Dogdyke pumping station is on the north bank of the Witham near Tattershall.

The steam engine (housed in the larger brick building to the rear of the photograph) was built in 1856 to replace an existing wind driven pump to drain a large area of farmland between the rivers Bain and Witham.

It is the only surviving engine by this builder and is possibly the oldest steam-driven scoop wheel land drainage pumping set in the country that is still in steam and in its original position.

It once lifted water from the lower drain (to the right in the photo) into the River Witham (to the left).

See the website:  https://www.dogdyke.com

Jean Howard, 19 April 2021

"The steam engine was replaced in 1940 by a Ruston & Hornsby 7XHR diesel engine, serial number 194833, driving a 22 inch Gwynnes centrifugal pump.

This engine has a capacity of 23.6 litre.

The 7XHR design has a single horizontal cylinder of 10 inches (25.4 cm) bore, 18.5 inches (47.0 cm) stroke, and develops 40 horsepower (30 kW) at 300rpm"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogdyke_Pumping_Station 

DB 2 June 2013

A second photograph of the station engineer's house, now carefully restored and improved.

On the regular Open Days, held throughout the summer, visitors can not only see the steam and diesel pumps in operation but also visit the excellent museum collection in the house - and enjoy home made teas.

For details of Open Days see:  https://www.dogdyke.com 

Jean Howard, 19 April 2021

"In 1956, work started on a new outfall for the Hobhole drain, to the south-east of the old sluices.

A pumping station containing three Allen diesel engines was built, each driving a 88-inch (220 cm) pump.

The station could discharge 800 tons per minute (1175 Mld) when all three pumps were running.

Once the station was complete, the old sluice was blocked off ...

The Hobhole pumping station was modified in 1988, when the old sluice channel was reopened and the sluices were fitted with four 33-inch (84 cm) submersible electric pumps, manufactured by Flygt"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witham_Navigable_Drains  

DB 6 March 2020

Former offices of the Upper Witham Internal Drainage Board at 39, St. Catherines.

"The Upper Witham IDB is an English Internal Drainage Board responsible for land drainage and the management of flood risk for an area to the west of the Lincolnshire city of Lincoln, broadly following the valleys of the upper River Witham, the River Till and the course of the Fossdyke Navigation"

Set up following the Land Drainage Act 1930.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_Witham_IDB 

Previously the site of Kesteven Police Station.

DB 11 April 2020 

A sluice and pumping station shown here on the OS 25 inch map published 1899.

Kelly's Directory of Lincolnshire 1885 has an entry "Torksey Commissioners of Sewers pumping station (Samuel Truran, engine driver)"

DB 24 June 2020

The fine steam-powered pumping station of 1867 has been retained, even though it was succeeded by a new structure containing diesel pumps in 1938, (seen here to the right background).

The pumps lift water from a large area of the East Fen into the Hobhole Drain, which runs south into the Haven SE of Boston.

This fine pumping station (TF 379 545), was built in 1867, to pump water from the East Fen into the Hobhole Drain which runs south to Boston Haven.

Diesel pumps were installed in 1940 but the boiler chimney from the days of steam pumping has been retained.

Hobhole Drain formed part of an extensive network of navigable waterways in the area and there are the remains of a lock alongside the pumping station.

This early photograph appears to show work completing the lock and the pumping station outfall.

The Pumping Station (viewed from the South) is situated by the River Trent at Owston Ferry.

It was built in 1910 to drain 5000 acres of the Isle of Axholme to the west.

The station contains an original Marshall of Gainsborough steam engine and later diesel engines by Ruston & Hornsby and
Lister-Blackstone.

Ken Redmore, 2008

The Pumping Station (viewed from the north) is situated by the River Trent at Owston Ferry.

It was built in 1910 to drain 5000 acres of the Isle of Axholme to the west.

The station contains an original Marshall of Gainsborough steam engine and later diesel engines by Ruston and Hornsby and
Lister-Blackstone.

Ken Redmore, 2008

"The Snow Sewer was cut, or re-cut, by Vermuyden in the 1620s-30s.

The flood gates were destroyed by rebellious local inhabitants in 1642 and the sluice subsequently repaired.

In 1764 John Smeaton reported on the Axholme drainage and following his recommendations the sluice was rebuilt with a lower sill.

In the C19 the sluice and drain were also used for warping the adjacent land, a process whereby silt was deposited by controlled flooding.

The sluice was largely superceded by mechanical pumps in the C20"

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1083227 

DB 21 August 2018

Engine house with date stone reading "1833".

"The Pinchbeck Engine is a restored beam engine, an impressive reminder of the time when man relied on the power of steam to drain the land.

The Pinchbeck Engine was built in 1833 and is a 20 horse-power A-frame low pressure condensing beam engine"

https://www.wellandidb.org.uk/about-us/our-museum/ 

Located Grid Reference TF262261.

DB 13 September 2013

"The engine is a 20 horsepower (15 kW) condensing steam engine with an overhead beam supported by an 'A'-frame.

It was built by the Butterley Company of Ripley, Derbyshire.

It has a single cylinder of 35 inches (89 cm) bore and 56 inches (1.42 m) stroke.

The flywheel is 18 feet 6 inches (5.64 m) in diameter.

The engine ran at up to 30 rpm"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinchbeck_Engine 

DB 13 September 2013

"The engine is gear-coupled to a single scoop wheel in an adjacent compartment.

There are 40 paddles around the circumference of the 22-foot (6.71 m) wheel, which could lift a maximum of 7,500 imperial gallons (34,000 l) of water per minute through an 8-foot (2.44 m) lift.

The annual effort varied between 1,093,000 long tons (1,111,000 t) tons of water lifted, and 3,690,000 long tons (3,749,000 t).

Typically the engine was operated for around 180 days a year and an engine man was permanently retained, living on the site"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinchbeck_Engine 

DB 13 September 2013

"The Timberland and Thorpe fens cover an area of 2,850 acres (11.5 km2) and were enclosed in 1785.

An Act of Parliament obtained in 1839 authorised drainage, and the first Timberland pumping station was constructed in that year.

A 26.5-foot (8.1 m) scoop wheel was driven by a 30 hp (22 kW) beam engine, discharging water into the Witham.

A high-pressure condensing beam engine replaced it in 1881, which was coupled to a 48-inch (120 cm) centrifugal pump.

Further upgrades included a Foster tandem horizontal steam engine in 1924 and a Ruston diesel engine in 1938.

When the equipment was replaced by electric pumps in 1976, the diesel engine and Gwynnes pump were retained, and are open to the public during the summer"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witham_First_District_IDB 

"The 106 foot high chimney used for the steam-operated boiler was demolished in 1937 after being struck by lightning"

https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MLI82850&resourceID=1006 

Located at National Grid Reference TF188583.

Geoff Swain Collection 24 June 1994