Stretham old engine is a steam-powered engine just south of Stretham in Cambridgeshire, England, that was used to pump water from flood-affected areas of The Fens back into the River Great Ouse. It is one of only three surviving drainage engines in East Anglia.
During the sixteenth century, large areas of fenland in East Anglia were reclaimed via extensive draining schemes. Despite this, crops and livestock were frequently swept away by widescale flooding. As a partial solution, windmills were used to pump water away from flood-affected areas, but relied on the weather and lacked the power required to lift large quantities of water.
The advent of steam power in the late 18th century offered a new solution, and these new engines began to spring up around The Fens.
The steam engine on the Old West River (Great Ouse) just south of Stretham was build by the Derbyshire firm, Butterleys, in 1831, costing £4950. It replaced four nearby windmills and its scoop wheel was used successfully for over a century to lift water from flood channels back into the river. Powered by coal that was brought by barge, it would consume a ton of fuel every four hours.
During use, the engine would need constant supervision, with the stoker and superintendent on 24-hour call. One superintendent even installed a telescope in his window so he could supervise the workmen without the need to get his feet wet!
Use of the engine was discontinued during World War II, and it was later replaced with smaller, more efficient electrical pumps that are still in use.
The engine is open to the public in the afternoon of the second Sunday of each month.
External Link