I am trying to put together a list of the extant remains of engine houses that accommodated the high pressure Cornish-design beam engine employed for pumping, winding and stamping operations, outside of the Cornwall and the West Devon World Heritage Site. I am not gathering data on Watt or Newcomen engine houses or horizontal engine houses.

I am only collecting data on those Cornish-design engine houses that have survived, not those that have been demolished, and hope to categorise them as follows:

Footprint (visible fragments of the foundations)
Shell of building (partial remains of house/chimney)
Non-consolidated but mostly intact
Consolidated (with approx. date of consolidation, if known)
With Cornish beam engine in situ

I have a pretty good idea of the ones surviving in Mexico, Australia, Spain, Ireland, NZ, S. Africa etc., but need more help with the survival of those across Britain. I was therefore hoping that list members might be able to provide some information, including their location and grid reference.

Many thanks in anticipation,
Cornish Pixie

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A assume you have the one in the Virgin Islands?

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Yes, thanks, I am aware of the history and woeful consolidation works to this site.

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Off the top of my head, in the Peak District there's:

Magpie mine - 1860s, for a 70" engine previously at Calver Sough mine and later moved to Ilkeston colliery, engine house and chimney mostly intact but boiler house removed, conserved by PDMHS in the 1970s.

Mandale mine - 1840s, for a 40" engine (I think), bob wall and some of the side walls remain, conserved by PDMHS in the 1970s and I think there's been some further work done recently

High Rake mine - 1840s, for a Simms compound engine later moved to Mixon mine. Bottom third of the engine house remains below ground level and the chimey footings, excavated and consolidated by PDMHS 2000-2008.

Wakebridge mine - 1840s (?) no idea on what size of engine, lower half of the engine house survives. Possibly conserved, but I'm not sure. A second ruined engine house in the Crich area was pushed into its run-in shaft some years ago.

Millclose mine (Watt's shaft) - 1860s, I think this was a 70" engine. Bob wall and some of the side walls remain, conserved in the 1970s (?)

New Millclose mine (Jumbo shaft) - 1880s or 90s, 80" engine (I think). Lower half of engine house remains, altered and still in use on the Enthoven's smelter site

I think all the other remaining engine houses in the Peak were for B&W or horizontal engines. There are possibly sub-surface remains at a few other sites, such as Hubberdale (the engine bed blocks are still there although buried, according to the landowner), Watergrove, Dale, Mixon, and Ribden.

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That's fab, AR! I look forward to getting to see some of these sites at this year's NAMHO. I really love Magpie, it is such a picturesque setting. :thumbup:

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Only mine sites? Are you bothering with waterworks?

Yes, I guess surviving Cornish-design engines at waterworks would be useful, even though they are not accommodated in the quintessential Cornish-design engine house that I'm researching.

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You probably know all this but no matter. There has been much discussion in recent years about the origin of the beam engine at Prestongrange.
The Prestongrange Museum web site states that the Cornish Beam Engine there is unique in Scotland as it the only beam engine still on the site where it worked. But is it Cornish?
Kenneth Brown wrote an article for the Trevithick Society Journal some years ago (can't remember the year and can't find the journal) entitled "Prestongrange 70-inch Cornish Engine-a myth exploded". He says that beyond any doubt the engine was built by J.E. Mare of Plymouth Foundry in 1853 to the designs of the celebrated engineers Hocking and Loam.
Full article:
http://www.aditnow.co.uk/mines/Prestongrange-Industrial/?gowhere=%2fmines%2f%3fpID%3d1%3fpid%3d1%26ac%3dA%26ad%3d50 

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The best one remaining in the North is probably the brick-built enginehouse at Stonecroft lead mine, Northumberland, NY 854689. It contained a 60 inch Cornish engine; the building is roofless and there are traces of the boiler house next to it. A Listed building.

At Sikehead lead mine, Co. Durham, NY 955464, is the base and foundations of a Cornish engine house, but the chimney is intact. Also fragments of boiler house, capstan stand, waterwheel pit, balance bob pit, and ore slide - probably built because of John Taylor & Co.

At Stank, near Barrow-in-Furness, is at least one Cornish engine house which remained only up to the top of the bobwall when I saw it years ago, but probably still the same. SD 233703.

At Lonsdale, North Yorks., NZ 615105, was a small engine house which only remains as the shaft top, balance-pit, hot well support and bobwall high enough to show the eduction pipe archway. Has been written up and recorded.

At Dalton Pumping Station, Co. Durham, NZ 411470, are two Cornish pumping engines disused since 1944, built by Davy Bros. of Sheffield in 1879. The massive building totally encloses them so they are protected from the elements but otherwise derelict.

There is a derelict pumping house at Roachburn Colliery, Cumbria, NY 615597, closed 1908, which probably contained a Bull engine but other details not known without going through Carlisle Records Office.

Regards, Simon.

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Have you got a copy of the report commissioned for the EH Monument Protection Program and compiled by David Bick? The Beam Enginehouse at Mines in England (excluding Cornwall) 1992. Its a bit sketchy in places but its a fairly inclusive list, though undoubtedly there are more to be added.

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Partial remains of an engine house at Bampfylde/ Poltimore Copper and Gold mine North Molton Devon ( SS 738 382 )
Mike.

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There is Watson's shaft, Tankerville Lead Mine (SO 355 995). Consolidated and preserved by Shropshire Mines Trust. 40" engine by Harvey's I believe.

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Moving off mines, there's the Lea Wood pumping engine on the Cromford canal which is preserved in working order - 40" engine (I think) made by Miltons of Elsecar, who also made the Magpie engine.

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Bob Pit, no, I dont have a copy of The Beam Enginehouse at Mines in England (excluding Cornwall) 1992. I'll try and get hold of one :thumbup:

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Cononley, Airedale, North Yorkshire?

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There is an engine house at the Shildon lead mine near Blanchland, Northumberland, reputed to be of Cornish design, except the chimney is not attached to the house but stands a few feet away and is of square section, decreasing in width towards the top. No idea what this house contained, but it has been reported that the first steam engine in the district (at the Beldon Shield mine) was a "Boulton & Watt 40 inch cylinder parallel motion engine with a 25 foot beam and a 6 - 8 foot stroke".
If you search for "shildon" in the AN database a couple of photos of the engine house can be found.

Slaynt vie!

Manxman.

Yes, there are many subtle differences in the basic design of Cornish beam engine houses. The chimney is a good example -these can be built onto a corner of the house opposite the plug doorway (as in iconic houses like Towanroath at Wheal Coates, St Agnes), or they can be detached, as at Worthington, Harvey's Wallaroo and Hughes, Moonta, Australia (all built by Cornish masons). But at Botallack, Crowns engine house has the chimney inside the structure! The chimney can also be round (quite common) or square (as at Frongoch) and one I have seen at Linares has an enormous base... :confused:

I am now also thinking about compiling a check list of characteristics that engine houses should have that show that they accommodated a Cornish beam engine. Ideas on a postcard please!!! :lol:

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There are two fantastic 100" houses in Nth Wales,

Talargoch mines 100" engine house is roofed and complete on Clives shaft, it is a superb example and well worthy of a visit, ity can be found at SJ057804 (pics on here)

Hendre Mines 100" is a large solid and complete engine house but sadly on a Quarry site at SJ198678 (pics on here)

Also see...

Scotts Pit Engine house by the M4 is a fabulous example with square chimney at Birchgrove, Swansea SS697983

Snailbeach Mines 61" Pump Engine house Lords Hill is another fine example at SJ374022

Well placed is the Parys - Mona mine pump engine house at Pearls Shaft SH447907

I think this is a Cornish, New Engine Mine Engine house at SK224774

There are 60" pump and 25" whim houses at Fron Goch but both are ruinous but worth a look SN723745

Small Cornish rotary eng house at Penyclun SN930873 built 1863 with seperate stack.

Minera Mines 40" engine house on Meadow Shaft, fully externally restored and re-roofed.

Glyn Pits Rotary Engine dual use conserved intact inside Engine house at ST265999

Church Farm Colliery Pumping Engine House ST668768 oddly stuck in middle of modern housing estate and complete.

Brandy Bottom Colliery, Shortwood ST682771, Engine house semi ruined, worthy of note.

Shildon Engine House at Blanchland, seperate square stack at NY960510

Grove Colliery at SN139070 Substantial complete 80" engine house.

As I think of more I'll post... :thumbsup:

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Just remembered a little know one at Poynton,

Norbury Pit Pumping Engine House SJ938855 converted to a house.

😉

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Fabulous Ian! I've seen some of these but others, particularly those on collieries, are new to me. Better start checking Ryanair for cheap flights to the UK!!!! 😉

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