Papplewick Pumping Station

A surprisingly beautiful and fascinating Victorian Pumping Station, that is still operational on ‘steam days’. Learn how it supplied Nottingham with water during the early 1880s. Surrounded by a lovely garden with a lake.

The Victorians were under budget when they made the station, so they used the surplus for decoration, even though they were never expected to be seen by the public!

If you would like to see the station in action, check online for ‘steaming day’ events that are held monthly, and which also offer guided tours of the underground reservoir, definitely worth a look.

During these days, the furnaces are lit and the pumps are working. Kids will marvel at the noise, heat, and smell of coal and oil that surrounds them as they discover the working display on 3 different levels.

There is a great collection of small steam engines to enjoy, plus a steam mini railway, which you can ride for a reasonable price. The grounds are lovely, with trees and flowers to see, plus a lake full of hungry fish to feed.

It may not sound exciting, but imagine a pair of gargantuan pistons overhead, which are decorated with beautiful images of birds, flowers, fish and scroll work.

Papplewick Pumping Station is one of the best preserved water Pumping Stations in the British Isles and is protected as a Scheduled Ancient Monument.