Name: Papplewick Pumping Station
Rating: 5.0

Papplewick Pumping Station

Rigg Lane, Ravenshead, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG15 9AJ, England

1-90 Years

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Description

Papplewick Pumping Station is a beautifully preserved Victorian waterworks built in the early 1880s to pump millions of gallons of fresh water daily to Industrial Nottingham. Designed as both a functional and decorative masterpiece, it showcases remarkable engineering and architecture. Today, it stands as a historic attraction celebrating Nottingham’s water supply heritage.

Visitors can attend Steam Events where the Lancashire boilers are fired up and the original twin beam engines built by James Watt & Co operate in the spectacular Engine House. Underground Reservoir Tours offer a guided visit to the 1879 reservoir built by Thomas Hawksley, including a passenger trailer ride, available during steam events. Guests can also book the exclusive “Experience Steam” session to help stoke the 1883 Lancashire boilers and run the original beam engines and 1922 Robey Winding Engine. The site also includes the Superintendent’s House & Visitor Reception (steam days only), gardens, Cooling Pond, Boiler House, Coal Shed, Forge & Stables, Cafe & Toilets, Greenhouse & Plant Sales (steam days only), Miniature Steam Railway (steam days only), Linby Colliery Winding Engine, and a Children’s Play Area.

Standard ticket prices are £14.00 online or £14.50 on the door for Adults (18+), £13.00 online or £13.50 on the door for Students, Seniors (60+), and Children (12–17), while Children under 12 are free. The exclusive Experience Steam session costs £145 per person.

Overall, Papplewick Pumping Station offers a unique chance to see historic steam engines in action within an ornate Victorian setting. With live steam demonstrations, underground tours and hands-on engineering experiences, it appeals to history enthusiasts and families alike. It is a fascinating destination to explore industrial heritage and impressive engineering in Nottinghamshire.

Features

Paid
Host birthday parties: No

Features

Steam Events: Eight weekends a year Papplewick Pumping Station fires up the Lancashire boilers. The original twin beam engines, built by James Watt & Co, can be seen in all their glory. Witness their grandeur in the spectacular Engine house amongst the elaborate Victorian decoration, moving as they did back in the 1880’s. All steam events run 10am till 4pm. Upcoming Events for 2026
Underground Reservoir Tours: Enjoy a breathtaking tour of Papplewick’s underground reservoir. This architectural marvel, built by the celebrated engineer Thomas Hawksley in 1879, once stored the water that the mighty beam engines pumped to the surface. But its service career was cut dramatically short and it was closed within twenty five years. How could such an engineering marvel be abandoned and forgotten? Take a tour and find out why.
Experience Steam: Do you dream of running a magnificent, steam driven beam engine? Learn the art of stoking an 1883 Lancashire boiler and acquire the skills to run one of the original James Watt beam engines at an exclusive ‘Experience Steam’ session. As well as helping to stoke the hand fired Lancashire boilers, you will also get the opportunity to run one of the original twin beam engines, built by James Watt & Co. in 1884 and the 1922 Robey Winding Engine previously of Linby Colliery.
The Papplewick Collection: Papplewick’s paper archive which includes the plans, drawings, photos and minute books relating to the pumping station and the development of Nottingham’s water supply system can be viewed by appointment at the University of Nottingham’s Manuscripts & Special Collections department at the Kings Meadow Campus.

Facilities

Parking: At steam events, we open the main car park located opposite the main entrance of the museum. The car park is free for visitors to the pumping station.
Food & Drinks: At steam events our onsite café serves a selection of hot pasties, freshly made sandwiches, snacks and ice cream. We also sell a wide range of hot and cold drinks. When not in steam we have a small kiosk selling hot drinks and pre-packages snacks.