1

No 208 Nov 2015

Great Little Trains of Wales by Michael Lattimer

Last July we spent an enjoyable week based at Dolgellau riding the ‘Great Little Trains of Wales’. The group of fifteen ranged from railway ‘anoraks’ to those looking for a change from the usual holiday. My wife has limited mobility and enjoyed the Welsh scenery from the comfort of a (usually) well appointed carriage. The holiday was well organised over six days by HF Holidays (see below for details) to fit in elev-en of these celebrated narrow-gauge lines. Wherever space allowed, footplate rides were offered and enthusiastically taken up.

Most of these lines rely on diesel locomotives for day to day operations; steam usually appears on special occasions and during the high season. A few original steam locos are still in use but others have been recovered from private commercial operators or are newer builds.

Each of these railways is different, with its own character reflecting the purpose for construction, the topography of the landscape and the history of preservation. The efforts of volunteers, grants and tourism underpin their existence. The highlight was the steam propelled journey to the top of Snowden, rewarded with clear views from the top - the clouds descended after we left.

Here follows a brief summary of each line. Further details may be found on the various web sites and that of the corresponding Wikipedia pages. There are some excellent YouTube contributions.

The Ffestiniog Railway became the model for the use by narrow gauge railways across the world. Originally the slate deposits around Blaenau Ffestiniog were being exploited in small quantities and laboriously taken by pack animal and farm carts to the River Dwyryd, thence by river boats downstream to the coast at Porthmadog for loading into sea-going sailing ships. This inefficient transportation was replaced by a horse and gravity system using a 23.5 inch gauge railway, corresponding to that being used in the quarries; wide enough to allow the horses to work efficiently when pulling the empty wagons and narrow enough to enable the railway to negotiate the sharp curves made necessary by the mountainous terrain. Thus the world’s oldest narrow gauge line opened 1836, with steam locomotives introduced in 1863.

The Ffestiniog’s sister company is the Welsh Highland Railway, the UK’s longest heritage railway, and a recent addition. It runs the 25 miles to Caernarfon through the Aberglaslyn Pass to the village of Beddgelert and along the flanks of Snowdon. A large amount of the necessary equipment was sourced from South Africa including three NG/G16 2-6-2+2-6-2 Beyer Garratts. The new £1.25 million Porthmadog Harbour Station offers greatly-improved passenger facilities and a convenient cross-platform interchange between it and the Ffestiniog. In Porthmadog there is the United Kingdom’s only mixed gauge flat rail crossing where the narrow gauge Highland crosses the Cambrian Coast standard gauge line on the level, see image below.

(Continued on page 4)

www.sihg.org.uk

Welsh Highland Railway

November 2015 2 Newsletter 208

Contents 2 Notices

3 Venues, Times & Contacts

1, 4 Great Little Trains of Wales by Michael Lattimer

6 Association for Industrial Archaeology News, the Bulletin of the AIA, Summer (173) and Autumn (174) 2015 report by Glenys Crocker

8 Return to Steam at Twyford Waterworks

New pattern of publication for the Surrey Industrial History Group Newsletter. With the rising cost of postage, it is no longer considered viable to send out a Newsletter six times a

year. Instead, it will now be issued quarterly. An event diary will be produced for the whole of the three month period covered, as set out below:

February, March & April May, June & July August, September & October November, December & January

It is planned to send out each Newsletter before the beginning of each period, that is, in January, April, July and October.

It is hoped that the total number of interesting pages over the year will remain high, but this does depend on contributions continuing to flow in from SIHG Members.

My apologies that this issue is late, as, although I am now fit again,

I have been unwell over the last ten days. JS

SIHG Newsletter No 208 November 2015 DIARY

Enquires to Programme Co-ordinator Bob Bryson: 01483 577809, meetings@sihg.org.uk.

40th series at Guildford of SIHG Industrial Archaeology Lectures (map: www.sihg.org.uk). alternate Tuesdays, 19:30-21:30, September 2015 - March 2016 Education Centre, The Cathedral, Guildford

Non-member £40 full fee, SyAS/SIHG member £35. Single lectures at £5, payable on the night, are open to all. The full programme, with exact dates, is available online at www.sihg.org.uk.

Thursday Morning Lectures at Leatherhead, 10:00-12:00, Programme for Spring 2016 Room G6 The Institute, 67 High Street Leatherhead KT22 8AH

Non-member full fee £50 SIHG member £45. (Please note that attendance is for the full course only.) 7 Jan George and Robert Stephenson - Geoff Roles, SIHG

14 Jan Fast Ladies - Tim Morris, Brooklands Trust Member

21 Jan Landscape and building materials in the SE - Geoffrey Mead, Sussex University

28 Jan The History of Photographic Images - Terry Pullen, WEA Lecturer

4 Feb Domes - Alan Thomas, SIHG

18 Feb The Merchant Navy in Wartime Pt ll - Richard Mellor

25 Feb A History of Town Gas - Ken Tythacott, SIHG

3 Mar Stainless Steel in Britain - David Dulieu

10 Mar Technology, Industry and The Napoleonic Wars - Roger Knight, London University

17 Mar Members’ Talks

An

importa

nt

date

for

your

diary!

South East Regional Industrial Archaeology Conference 2016 SERIAC 2016 Saturday 23 April 2016

hosted by Surrey Industrial History Group at Holy Cross Preparatory School George Road (off Kingston Hill) Kingston upon Thames KT2 7NU

Full programme and application form n the next SIHG Newletter. Details available soon at www.sihg.org.uk.

A Railway at War - Exhibition Until 31 December at STEAM, Reading

The Role of the GWR and its Employees during WW1

November 2015 3 Newsletter 208

Ancient Technology Centre : 10:00-16:00; £6; Damerham Road, Cranborne, Dorset BH21 5RP; (behind school); 01725 517618, www.ancienttechnologycentre.co.uk,

Brooklands: open Summer 10:00-17:00, Winter 10:00-16:00; £11/£9.90; Brooklands Rd, Weybridge, Surrey KT13 0QN; www.brooklandsmuseum.com; 01932 857381.

Basingstoke Canal, Surrey & Hants Canal Society: 20:00, free; the Pavilion, Recreation Ground, Station Road, Chobham GU24 8AZ; www.basingstoke-canal.org.uk.

BIAG, Berkshire Industrial Archaeology Group: 19:30; £2.50; Garden Room, Watlington House, Watlington Street, Reading RG1 4RG ; www.biag.org.uk.

Brunel Museum: Walks from Bermondsey Tube; just turn up Wed 16:30, Sun 10:45; £9/£7. Boat & train from Embankment tube station (not pier) for Brunel sites along the Thames; just turn up Tue/Thu/Sat 10:45; £9/£7 (+ transport costs). Museum: Railway Ave-nue, Rotherhithe, London SE16 4LF; 020 7231 3840.

Bursledon Brickworks: Open days £5/£4, Thu £3/£2; Coal Park Lane, Swanwick, Southampton SO31 7GW; www.bursledonbrickworks.org.uk; 01489 576248.

Chatham Historic Dockyard: 10:00-18:00, £17.50/£15; Chatham, Kent ME4 4TZ; www.thedockyard.co.uk; 01634 823800.

CKA, Council for Kentish Archaeology: 7, Sandy Ridge, Borough Green, TN15 8HP.

CNHSS, Croydon Natural History & Scientific Society: 19:45; free? UR Church Hall, Addiscombe Grove, E Croydon CR0 5LP; http://cnhss.co.uk; 0208 668 1431.

Crofton Beam Engines : 10:30-17:00; £8/£7; Crofton, Marl-borough, Wiltshire SN8 3DW.

Croydon Airport Society: Visitor Centre: open some Sun, 11:00-16:00, free;

Airport House, Purley Way, Croydon CR0 0XZ. Cuffley Industrial Heritage Society: 20:00, £4; Northaw

Village Hall, 5 Northaw Road West, Northaw EN6 4NW; www.cihs.org.uk.

Didcot Railway Centre: 10:30-17:00; £10.00/£9.50; Didcot Parkway railway station, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 7NJ; www.didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk; 01235-817200.

Docklands History Group: 18:00, £2; Museum of London Docklands, No 1 Warehouse, West India Quay, Hertsmere Rd, Canary Wharf, London E14 4AL; www.docklandshistorygroup.org.uk; 01689 851982.

DBRG, Domestic Buildings Research Group (Surrey): Usu-al meeting place - East Horsley Village Hall, Kingston Avenue, East Horsley, Surrey KT24 6QT (O.S. ref TQ091542): Kingston Avenue is at the end of a parade of shops (Budgen supermarket on the corner). There is no need to book and non-members are welcome; free.

Ealing Local History Society: Ealing Library, Ealing Broadway Centre, south side of Ealing Broadway, W5 5JY; at 18:15; £4.

GLIAS, Greater London Industrial History Society: 18:30; Swedenborgian Lecture Theatre, Barter Street by Kingsway Underground Station; www.glias.org.uk.

Greenwich Industrial History: 19:30, £1; Old Bakehouse, rear of Age Exchange Centre, opp Blackheath Stn, Bennett Park, 11 Blackheath Village, SE3 9LA; no park-ing.; http://greenwichindustrialhistory.blogspot.com.

Guildford Museum: Castle Arch, Guildford, Surrey GU1 3SX; Mons to Sats, 11:00-17:00 + Bank Holiday Mondays; www.guildford.gov.uk/museum, 01483 444751.

Diary November 2015

10 Tue SIHG Guildford Lecture Series: Agricultural Steam Mechanisation by Dr Jane McCutchan, Uni of Reading.

17 Tue SIHG Guildford Lecture Series: Tunnelling in the 1740s by Dr Bryan Lawton, Newcomen Society.

Diary December 2015

8 Tue SIHG Guildford Lecture Series: Members’ Talks Evening (free).

Diary January 2016

19 Tue SIHG Guildford Lecture Series: Water Power in Roman Gold Mining by Dr David Bird, President SyAS.

HIAS, Hampshire Industrial Archaeology Society: 19:45, free; Underhill Centre, St. John's Road, Hedge End, Hants SO30 4AF; www.hias.org.uk; 01962 855200.

IWA, Inland Waterways Association: www.waterways.org.uk; 0203 612 9624.

KAS, Kent Archaeological Society: http://www.kentarchaeology.org.uk.

London Canal Museum: Open 10:00-16:30; Talks 19:30, £4/£3; 12/13 New Wharf Road, London N1 9RT; www.canalmuseum.org.uk; 0207 713 0836.

London Museum of Water and Steam: Green Dragon Lane, Brentford, Middx TW8 0EN; www.waterandsteam.org.uk; 020 8568 4757.

Museum of London Docklands: Mon-Sun: 10:00-18:00; no.1 Warehouse, West India Quay, London E14 4AL; www.museumoflondon.org.uk/docklands, info.docklands@museumoflondon.org.uk, 020 7001 9844.

Newcomen Society London: 17:45, free; Fellows’ Room, Science Museum, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2DD; http://newcomen.com.

Newcomen Society Birmingham: Thinktank, (B’ham Science Museum), Millennium Point, Aston University, Curzon Street, Birmingham, West Midlands B4 7XG.

Newcomen Society Portsmouth: 18:30; free; Portland Build-ing, University of Portsmouth, Saint James’s Street, Portsmouth PO1; http://newcomen.com.

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard : 10:00-17:30, site ticket, annual £28/£26 HM Naval Base, Portsmouth PO1 3LJ; www.historicdockyard.co.uk; 02392 728060.

Railway and Canal Historical Society :18:30, free? The Rugby Tavern, Rugby Street, London WC1N 3ES; www.rchs.org.uk.

Reigate Caves, Wealden Cave & Mine Society: some Sats, 10:00-16:00, £3/£2; tours of Reigate Caves in Tunnel off High Street, Reigate; www.wcms.org.uk.

Rural Life Centre: open Summer Wed-Sun 10:00-17:00, Winter Wed/Sun 10:00-16:00; £8.50/£7.50; Old Kiln Mu-seum, Reeds Road, Tilford, Farnham, Surrey GU10 2DL; www.rural-life.org.uk; 01252 795571.

Saddlescombe: always viewable, 2 m N of A27 Brighton ring road & 1 m S of A281; TQ273115.

SIAS, Sussex Industrial Archaeological Society : www.sussexias.co.uk.

STEAM - Museum of the Great Western Railway: 10:00-16:00, £8/£6.50; Kemble Drive, Swindon SN2 2TA; www.steam-museum.org.uk; 01793 466 646.

Subterranea Britannica: www.subbrit.org.uk. Twyford Waterworks: 11:00-16:00, £5/£4; Hazeley Road,

Twyford, Hampshire SO21 1QA; www.twyfordwaterworks.co.uk; 01962 714716.

Watercress Line, Mid Hants Railway: all day travel £14, free on non-running days; Station Rd, Alresford, Hants SO24 9JG; (or Station Rd, Alton, Hants GU34 2PZ); www.watercressline.co.uk; 01962 733810.

Weald & Downland Open Air Museum, 10:30-18:00, £11.50/£10.50; Singleton, Chichester, West Sussex PO18 0EU; www.wealddown.co.uk; 01243 811348.

WACT, Wey & Arun Canal Trust: The Granary, Flitchfold Farm, Loxwood, Billingshurst West Sussex, RH14 0RH; 01403 752403, office@weyandarun.co.uk.

Whitchurch Silk Mill: Tue-Sun, bank hols, £4.50/£4; 28 Win-chester Street, Whitchurch, Hampshire RG28 7AL; www.whitchurchsilkmill.org.uk, 1256 892065.

Venues, Times & Contacts of Other Organisations Please check venues and times carefully. Most venues open 30 minute before the published time.

November 2015 4 Newsletter 208

The Welsh Highland Heritage Railway is a small, friendly operation where it claims the train ride is just part of the experience. The one mile journey to Pen-y-Mount Junction is where the railway connects with the WHR mainline. On the return journey, the train stops at Gelert’s Farm Halt, allowing passengers to visit the museum and workshops. This ‘hidden gem’ shows a well presented display of the history and working of the slate quarries.

The varied history of the Highland lines is best understood from the Wikipedia entry at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welsh_Highland_Railway_restoration or http://www.festrail.co.uk/. Happy reading!

The Fairbourne Steam Railway runs for 2 miles north from the village of Fairbourne alongside the beach to the end of a peninsula opposite the seaside resort of Barmouth. Opened in 1895 as a 2 ft gauge horse-drawn tramway to carry building materials, it was converted in 1916 to a 15 in steam gauge, and again in 1986 to 12¼ in gauge. The rail-way has carried holidaymakers for over most of its history.

The Corris Railway replaced the use of pack ponies to carry slate from the quarries of the Afon Dulas valley to the nearest navigable point on the Afon Dyfi (River Dovey), where it was loaded into ships and carried to its diverse destinations.

Built originally in 1859 as a 2 ft 3 in gauge horse and gravity worked tram road, by the 1860s the line was delivering to the standard gauge railway at Machynlleth. Three steam locomotives arrived in 1878. In 1948 the railway was one of the first to be closed by the newly nationalised British Railways and dismantled soon after. The surviving locomotives and rolling stock were taken over by the nearby Talyllyn Railway.

A museum opened in 1970 and passenger services recommenced in 2002 along a short stretch of line, with regular steam-hauled services returning in 2005. I man-aged my turn on the footplate of No 7 for a short run sandwiched between the driver and fireman - there’s little room in the cab of a 2 ft 3 in gauge loco. Plans to extend further south towards Machynlleth are in place.

The Talyllyn Railway runs for 7.25 miles (11.67 km) from the coast at Tywyn to Nant Gwernol. Opened in 1866 to carry slate from the quarries at Bryn Eglwys to Tywyn, it suffered severe under-investment but survived partly as a tourist attraction. The quarry finally closed in 1946, the line remaining open until 1950. The following year it became the first railway in the world to be preserved as a heritage railway, run by volunteers under the leadership of the writ-er and transport enthusiast Tom Rolt. Much work followed in its rescue from the many years of neglect.

(Continued from page 1)

Corris Railway

Opened in 1902 as a link between local lead mines and the harbour at Aberystwyth, the Vale of Rheidol Railway soon became a tourist service through the Rheidol Valley as the mining and timber trade declined. After a varied history it was the last steam railway as part of British Rail’s network when sold in 1989. The line was a considerable engineering feat, rising nearly 666 ft (200 metres) along its 11¾ mile (19 km) route to the summit at Devil’s Bridge.

The Welshpool and Llanfair Railway opened in 1903 to provide a much needed access for the farming community around Llanfair Caereinion to the market town of Welsh-pool. Built as a 2 ft 6 in gauge Light Railway to avoid some of the costs of construction and to negotiate the tight curves and steep gradients of the Banwy Valley, it now serves as a tourist attraction through 8.5 miles (13.7 km) of pleasant rural landscape. Operated at first by the Cambrian Rail-ways, the line was taken over by the Great Western and then British Railways before closure in 1956.

All of the trains are steam hauled, either by one of the unique original locomotives or from a collection culled from overseas. The carriages in regular use are from Hungary and Austria including four balcony ended coaches donated by the Austrian Zillertalbahn in 1968. Of note is the Rail Investigation Branch report of a ‘runaway’ mishap 3 March 2010 in Bulletin 6/2010.

The 2 ft gauge Bala Lake Railway, opened in 1972 using a section of the former Ruabon - Barmouth GWR route, which had been closed in 1965. It follows the south-eastern shore of Bala Lake for 4½ miles (7.2 km). It is planned to extend into Bala Town. There are four steam locomotives, the oldest dating from 1885.

(Continued on page 5)

Vale of Rheidol

Welshpool and Llanfair Railway

November 2015 5 Newsletter 208

The delightful little Llanberis Lake Railway runs for 2.5 miles (4 km) along the northern shore of Llyn Padarn utilising part of the trackbed of the de-funct Padarn Railway, which once connected the Dinor-wic Slate Quarry with the Menai Strait. The Padarn closed in 1961 and after various proposals, the Llanberis Lake opened with 1 ft 10¾ in gauge track in July 1971. Enthusiasts had obtained leases on part of the route and bought redundant quarry railway equipment. There are three original steam locos from the quarry plus several diesels.

The popular Snowdon Mountain Railway, the only public rack and pinion railway in the United Kingdom, is an 800 mm gauge (2 ft 7 1⁄2 in). It was the Swiss who had significant experience in building rack locomotives, so they won the contract for the engines. Trains take an hour to run the 4.7 miles (7.6 km) from Llanberis to the summit of Snowdon.

The public opening Easter 1896 was marred when the first train derailed. The engine tumbled over the side of the mountain. Some way below, two climbers were aware of a boulder falling from above them, only to find that it was a steam locomotive that appeared out of the cloud. The rail-way did not reopen again until the following year.

What was the overall impression of these railways and is this Industrial Archaeology? The Fairbourne carries holidaymakers; Llanberis and Bala are tourist attractions using existing trackbeds and preserved locomotives; the Snowdon always carried tourists and is still operating much as it ever did. The Corris is building a replica of an 1878 loco (donations welcome). The Welsh Highland uses South African Garratts. Some lines have been re-routed, especially in town centres. All must operate under the current regulations applying to railways and business in general. And so on.

It was the enterprise of those who built the early tram-ways and promoted the narrow gauge lines that enabled the rapid growth of the slate quarries - ‘The most Welsh of Welsh industries’. Narrow gauge lines subsequently spread throughout the world. Now it is through the vision, the funding and the labour of thousands of volun-teers and supporters that the trackbeds and once decaying infrastructure survive. Rolling stock has been retrieved from many former private sidings and trackways and now is in use for the enjoyment of many. The remnants of the Welsh slate industry remain. The National Slate Museum lies next to Llanberis Lake station - their slate-

(Continued from page 4)

Snowdon Mountain Railway

Bala Lake Railway

splitting demonstration was filled with school children marvelling at the craft of dressing tiles.

All of this is part of the heritage and economy of Wales. And there is nothing like the smell and hiss of a steam engine, the clickerty-clack track, the workshops, the chance of a footplate ride and the scenery. ¤

The holiday was organised by HF Holidays Limited, Catalyst House, 720 Centennial Court, Centennial Park, Elstree, Hertfordshire WD6 3SY; web: www.hfholidays.co.uk,

The unique crossover of standard and narrow gauge where the re-built Welsh Highland (narrow gauge) Railway crosses

the Cambrian Coast line ‘on the level’ Image © Copyright Dewi and licensed for reuse under the

Creative Commons Generic Licence, see www.geograph.org.uk/photo/326160.

November 2015 6 Newsletter 208

The Summer 2015 issue (173) begins with ‘Gas holders Part 2’ by Robert Carr, who observes that the attitude of different countries towards their gasworks varies from dislike to reverence and our record of reuse in the UK is not as good as that in some other countries. He has selected examples from ten European countries from a comprehensive gazetteer of surviving gasholders, many of which have been imaginatively reused.

‘Of Footpads and Highwaymen’ reports the completion of a 2-year community project to study the Blackett-Beaumont lead company archives in the north Pennines, in particular the criminal consequences of the system of paying the workers – regular small subsistence payments and an annual ‘great pay’ requiring carrying huge amounts of cash out to the workers at the mines.

Derek Bayliss reports the unveiling and activation of the conserved Elsecar Newcomen engine, a scheduled monument bought in 1988 by Barnsley Council. After much debate over how to restore it to working order it was decided to use hydraulic power concealed in the pumping shaft. It will run on only a few days a year, advance booking essential. See experience-barnsley.com or elsecar-heritage.com.

Michael Nevell reports on the progress of the University of Salford’s excavations on the site of New Bailey Prison in central Salford, ahead of urban regeneration.

The career and interests of Frank Atkinson, Museum Direc-tor (1924-2014), ranging over a wide area of the North of England and notable for his achievements at Beamish Museum, is reviewed in an obituary by Stafford M Linsley.

The summer issue includes the AIA Director’s Report for the previous year and an appeal for nominations for the Association’s Adaptive Reuse Award.

Letters to the editor include an appeal to protect the endangered Scotch derrick crane on the Thames river-side at Rotherhithe, (see back cover image) and for news of any other Scotch derricks remaining in English seaports; the 2014 Chester conference prompts letters about Chester 40 years ago and the Birkenhead tram used on one of the conference visits; a question about the use of animal and water-power in domestic butter churning is prompted by a book ‘Discovering the Historic Houses of Snowdonia’ by R Suggett and M Dunn. Finally there are six pages of short items of news and announcements and a list of publications received. The National Heritage Landmarks Partnership Scheme announces six new projects, of which two are in the South-east: Bursledon Brickworks, Hampshire and Mail Rail, London.

IA News 174 has a cover photograph of the early Stevenson cast-iron light of Scalasaig, whose restoration has been funded by an AIA restoration grant. The Presi-dent of the AIA, Professor Marilyn Palmer, is congratulat-ed on being awarded the MBE for services to industrial archaeology and heritage. It is reported that the Forth Bridge was one of 24 cultural sites added to the list of World Heritage Sites in July.

Association for Industrial Archaeology News, the Bulletin of the AIA,

Summer and Autumn 2015 report by Glenys Crocker

The first article is a compilation by three participants of the AIA spring tour to the Rhone valley. This had a varied itinerary including the palatial but now empty Royal Salt Works at Arc-et-Senans, sites of the silk industry in Lyon, the Lyon waterworks and an interest-ing example displayed in the museum at Oyonnax of how an old cottage industry based on hand-worked wood and bone evolved into modern industry in the twentieth century. An article on ‘Heritage in Australia’ by Owen Peake is presented in advance of an imminent tour to New South Wales organised by Heritage of Industry.

‘New Uses for Old Mills in Stroudwater’ is an account by Jennifer Tann of the Stroudwater Textile Trust’s promotion of research on fulling/woollen mills and of their adaptive re-use.

In ‘Cellular Mobile Communications Heritage’ Andy Sutton points out the inadequate recording of develop-ments in the last 30 years and shows three sets of three photographs: cellular radio base station towers; column, lamp-post and rooftop installations; and non-standard cellular installations. [See over the page for the correct nine images.]

In ‘Limoges – Pottery and Transport’ Robert Carr describes the earlier practice of floating timber down the river Vienne to fuel the pottery kilns, the incidence of civil unrest and the operation of the Royal Limoges porcelain manufactory which dates from about 1797. It was classified as an historic monument in 1987 and has a small museum which besides fine porcelain displays other ceramic and electrical products.

Chris Barney commemorates the third centenary of the death of Thomas Savery, whose early invention for rais-ing water ‘by fire’, granted a patent in 1698, awaited the development of better materials.

The Dukesfield Smelters and Carriers Project grew out of public concern about the dereliction of the Dukesfield Arches, a grade 2 listed structure of gothic design on the ‘lead road’ from the smelting works at Dukesfield near Hexham, which closed in 1835, to the Tyne at Blaydon. Since 2011 a wide-ranging community project on the history of the lead industry in the area has been under-taken with great enthusiasm and with Heritage Lottery funding. A closing ceremony with Lord Allendale was held on 7 June 2015.

There are reports on the progress of AIA restoration projects and announcements of AIA Awards – for Archaeological Reports, Digital Initiative and Innova-tion, Outstanding Scholarship and Adaptive Re-use. Short news items include new evidence of the Haytor Granite Tramroad and an enforcement notice issued to the developers who demolished the historic Carlton Tavern in London to rebuild it brick by brick. The colour photograph on the back cover of the AIA News shows the painting of velvet at L’Atelier du Solerie as seen on the Rhone trip. ¤

November 2015 7 Newsletter 208

Many thanks to all who have sent in

contributions. Please send in reports or photos of holiday

visits or thoughts on local,

national or international

Industrial Archaeology

by 20 January 2016 for the next SIHG

Newsletter! Any articles or

images, whether long or just a

a brief note will be appreciated -

both by the editor and by the readers!

Cellular Mobile Communications Heritage from AIA News 174, Autumn 2015

Figure 1: Cellular base

station towers.

Figure 2: Column,

lamppost and rooftop

(with stub tower)

installations.

Figure 3: Non-standard

cellular installations.

These are the images as they should have appeared in

AIA News 174. See www.industrial-

archaeology.org/acellular.htm.

The ‘Red Crane’, an endangered Scotch derrick,

on Odessa Street, Rotherhithe, London.

See previous page and http://russiadock.blogspot.co.uk/,

Tuesday October 6 2015 and Wednesday August 21 2013.

November 2015 8 Newsletter 208

SIHG is a group of the Surrey Archaeological Society, Registered Charity No 272098 Castle Arch Guildford Surrey GU1 3SX, Group President: Prof AG Crocker FSA

Published by Surrey Industrial History Group, printed by YesPrint 3 Leafy Oak Workshops Cobbetts Lane Yateley GU17 9LW

© SIHG 2015 ISSN 1355-8188

Still commercially pumping 5 million gallons of water a day, Twyford Waterworks, which nestles in a rural chalk downland setting in the heart of Hampshire and within the South Downs National Park, is also a ‘time capsule’ of engineering, showcasing the com-plete history of water pumping through the eras. From Edwardian steam, through to 1930s diesel, 1950s electricity and right up to today’s modern technology, the historic site has been described by English Heritage as ‘exceptional’. Containing nearly all its original equipment from the past 100 years including five large lime kilns, a water-powered narrow gauge incline railway, water-driven lime mixing equipment and the entire water softening process, most of the Waterworks is now managed by Twyford Waterworks Trust and is run and kept alive by a team of 40 passionate volunteers and nearly 200 Friends.

HLF funds will now mean that the huge towering his-toric steam boilers and pumping engine will be re-stored to enthral visitors and bring the site back to life and back into steam. There will be new interpre-tation for visitors, and a new workshop facility will also mean that vital skills can be passed on to a new generation of volunteers so that the waterworks – once an important employer in Twyford Village – can be brought back to the heart of the community.

See details at www.twyfordwaterworks.co.uk/ » News.

The deadline for submitting copy for the next Newsletter is

20 January 2016 Submissions are accepted in typescript, on a disc,

or by email to news@sihg.org.uk. Anything related to IA will be considered.

Priority will be given to Surrey-based or topical articles. Contributions will be published as soon as space is available.

Readers are advised that the views of contributors are not necessarily the views of SIHG.

Website: www.sihg.org.uk

Return to Steam at Twyford Waterworks The 1914 Hathorn Davy triple expansion steam engine.

Image © Copyright Peter Facey and licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Licence,

see www.geograph.org.uk/photo/33860,

Return to Steam at Twyford Waterworks £820,000 confirmed Heritage Lottery Fund award

Surrey Industrial History Group Officers Chairman, Lectures Organiser & Sales: Robert Bryson meetings@sihg.org.uk

Secretary: Hugh Anscombe info@sihg.org.uk Treasurer: (vacant) (treasurer@sihg.org.uk)

Vice Chairman & Membership Secretary: Pam Taylor membership@sihg.org.uk Newsletter Editor: Jan Spencer news@sihg.org.uk