Hove in the Past: Goldstone Pumping Station / Engineerium, Hove.

Judy Middleton 2001 (revised 2024)

Background

Until the 1860s Brighton’s fresh water was supplied solely from the Lewes Road Works. But it was obvious that with a growing population a new source of water must be sought. Brighton Council decided that such an important matter required the services of someone at the top of his game, and so they employed the eminent Thomas Hawksley (1807-1893) in their quest.

Thomas Hawksley(1807-1893)

by Sir Hubert von Herkomer, oil on canvas, 1887, NPG 4973

Hawksley was one of the most prominent of the early Victorian engineers, and indeed he was responsible for the supply of more pumped water than any of his contemporaries. He enjoyed a long career, and it is claimed that he has more than 150 waterworks to his credit. The following are some of the thirsty towns he helped:

Barnstaple

Darlington

Derby

Great Yarmouth

Lowestoft

Northampton

Norwich

Nottingham

Southend

Sunderland

Weymouth

Hawksley’s advice was also sought from abroad.

Goldstone Valley

Hawksley came to the conclusion that the Goldstone Valley would be an excellent place in which to start the search for water. He organised some test bore-holes, and then chose the site. It was in 1858 that Hawksley submitted his plans, but it was not until 1862 that the 3½ acre site was purchased.

The Goldstone Pumping Station opened in 1866, and it was run by an organisation with a formidable title – the Brighton, Hove, and Preston Constant Service Water Supply Company.

Number 1 Engine

This was the name later given to the first engine to be installed on the site. It was a 120 hp Woolf Compound condensing beam engine built by Easton & Amos. Apparently, it was the last engine that Amos designed before he retired.

Number 2 Engine

The second engine became necessary because of increased demand for water. There was also a new owner – the Brighton Water Company who had taken over in 1872, and extended the pumping station. The new engine was a 250 hp condensing Woolf Compound built by Easton & Anderson in 1875. The number 2 engine was capable of lifting 150,000 gallons of water an hour. It certainly says something for the quality of Victorian engineering because it was such a reliable beast that it remained in operation until 1952, and was kept on stand-by until 1954.

The Brighton Water Company and Brighton councillors were so proud of the new engine that a large brass plaque was installed in the engine room recording the names of those involved in the project and the fact that the engine was started on 26 October 1876 by the Mayor of Brighton, Alderman Henry Abbey. The following is a list of those on the Waterworks Committee:

Alderman H, Brigden

Alderman H. Davey

Alderman D. Friend

Alderman W. H. Hallett

Alderman E. J. Reeves

Councillor J. L Craven

Councillor W. Langworthy

Councillor J. Lutley

Councillor E. Martin

Councillor W. W. Savage

Councillor T. Waterfield (what an appropriate name)

At the foot of the list was the name of John Baker, engineer and superintendent of excavations.

At the same time as the engine was installed, three new Lancashire boilers were added; they were twin furnaces, and remained in use until 1934.

The Folly

Perhaps it was John Baker, engineer and superintendent of excavations, who was responsible for the charming folly in the grounds. It seems probable that he saved the large and irregular-shaped flints that his workforce brought to the surface, and used them to create a series of arches, some half-closed to resemble windows, plus a grotto. The folly was deliberately built in an asymmetrical style, and the grotto was not placed centrally; most probably the folly was intended to act as a contrast to the precision necessary for engineering. In true Victorian style, ivy was allowed the cover the folly, giving it an air of antiquity, but since 1990 the ivy has been cut back to allow visitors to see the flint work.

A map showing the water supply lines from the Goldstone Pumping Station and Hove's reservoirs and wells
which was displayed at the Brighton Health Congress in Brighton's Dome on the 14 December 1881.

Reservoirs

Brighton Council authorised the considerable sum of £17,000 to be spent on providing three new reservoirs, and by 1884 two had already been built and were in use – they were at Dyke Road and Race Hill. The third one was constructed at the Goldstone works, and it was the largest and most expensive. It cost £11,000 and could hold 1½ million gallons of water.

The excavations were carried out west of the engine house for half a mile, and the work was undertaken by the contractor J. T. Chappell under the supervision of Mr Bushell, clerk of the works. In order to keep the water pure and cool, the reservoir was arched over with brickwork, and then covered with a thick layer of earth. The sides and floor of the reservoir were formed of clamp brick embedded in Portland cement and faced with red-brick tiles.

It was suggested that residents might be allowed to view the reservoir before it was filled, but it never came about. Instead, a group of worthies and councillors drove out to Goldstone Valley on 24 March 1884 to celebrate the opening of the new works.

It was unfortunate that the Mayor and Mayoress of Brighton were absent because of illness while Mr Easton, the engineer, was detained in the House of Commons giving evidence before a Parliamentary Committee. Instead, Mr Easton wrote a letter to be read out in which he stated that the new cooling pond opposite the engine house would allow both engines to be used at the same time. However, Mr Easton’s business partner, Mr Anderson, was present for the occasion, and so was Mr Chappell. After Alderman Abbey concluded his speech, Mr Baker, the superintendent, turned on the water, which began to flow at between four and five thousand gallons a minute.

copyright © J.Middleton
This somewhat bleak postcard view reminds us of how Hove Park looked in its early stages with the Goldstone Waterworks dominating the scene

It was said that the water supply in the Goldstone valley was ‘practically inexhaustible’. Fissures in the chalk were found running from north to south, but at a much great distance apart than was to be found in the Lewes Road valley. At Lewes Road not more than 30-ft of tunnelling was driven before fissures were encountered, whereas at Goldstone tunnelling had to continue for 160-ft before fissures were struck. But Goldstone produced around 1,000 gallons per minute, whereas the largest fissures at Lewes Road were a trickle by comparison – producing no more than 150 gallons a minute.

The total amount of tunnelling at Goldstone was around 1,800-ft. Of course much of the working part of the pumping station was built below ground level, and there are arched white-washed tunnels connecting the old coal cellars to the engine house, and along which the coal trucks used to trundle.

There are also two wells containing 25-ft of fresh water, while at the bottom 2-ft of denser salt water can be found, because the bases are below sea level. Perhaps it is instructive to remember that when the new Hove Town Hall was being built after the disastrous fire of 1966, workmen constructing the foundations encountered salt water.

George Mason at the Waterworks

Ernie Mason was born in 1906, and his father George Mason earned his living at the Goldstone Waterworks. It sounds like a punishing regime because his working day consisted of twelve-hour shifts, days one week, and nights the next week. George Mason worked as a stoker for some years, and then he became driver of the beam engine.

There was an underground reservoir on the north side of Dyke Road, near the junction with Woodland Drive. There was a large white board on top of the reservoir, to which was attached a long pole with an arrow at the top, the base floating freely in the water. The arrow pointed to markings on the board, and Mason, armed with his telescope at the Goldstone, could check how much water was left in the reservoir, and how much needed to be pumped into it. This was all fine and dandy in fine weather conditions, but when there was fog or mist, the only way to check on water levels, was to send a boy mounted on a donkey to see for himself.

Improvements

In 1934 the old boilers were replaced with four Lancashire boilers of a larger capacity; they were made by Yates & Thom of Blackburn. Each boiler could produce 6,000 lbs of steam per hour, and they remained in use until pumping by steam engine ceased in the 1950s.

In 1937 ozone treatment was introduced at the Goldstone because the area had become surrounded by housing developments.

During the Second World War the water was chlorinated for disinfection purposes. Also, during the war, an air-raid siren was installed at the works, and naturally being situated in an elevated position, the eerie wails could be heard over quite a distance.

Transition to Engineerium

By 1971 the Goldstone Pumping Station was considered obsolete, and Brighton Water Board even wanted to demolish the whole lot. Into the breach stepped Jonathon Minns, an engineering enthusiast since his childhood, and he was determined to save it, and Southern Water granted him a lease on the property. As a result of his initiative on 7 June 1971 the Department of the Environment made the Goldstone Pumping Station a Grade II listed building, and it was considered important enough to become a World Heritage Site as well. It is interesting to note that the engine house and boiler room enjoy an additional status – Grade II*.

By 1974 Jonathon Minns determined to put the building to good use by opening it up for public viewing. However, that was easier said than done because at the time Mr Minns only had £300 to spare for the project. Fortunately, there were other people who wanted to save this marvellous piece of Victorian engineering, and soon the money started to roll in; the following donated large amounts:

Department of the Environment - £40,000

Southern Water Authority - £22,000

Sponsorship from Christie, Manson & Woods, auctioneers - £120,000

In 1975 the Goldstone received the largest, single, historic buildings grant in Sussex.

It is an astonishing fact that the enormous task of restoration was carried out by volunteers, an enthusiastic team of men – whose number never exceeded eight members – and they toiled away from October 1975 to March 1976. The restoration covered everything from the roof, windows, and wrought-iron work to the pump pistons that had seized up solidly. The restored engine was started up at midnight on 14 March 1976.

Seven flights of scaffolding were erected inside the building with special care being taken so that the original floor tiles should not be damaged in the process. It was possible to tell what the original colour scheme had been, by carefully scraping away layers of paint to see what lay beneath. Then the original colours were matched with new paint so that the interior looked much as it had done in Victorian times.

The Brighton & Hove Engineerium (later called the British Engineerium) was officially opened on 24 October 1976. By 1981 it employed eighteen full-time workers, of which four were full-time engineers, and two were apprentices. There were also many keen volunteers to help out. Visitors were able to see some 1,500 exhibits. But first of all, there was the wonderful exteriors to admire with their polychrome brickwork featuring bricks of yellow, red and blue/purple to tease the eye. Then there was the soaring chimney, resembling a campanile rather than an industrial necessity; it measure 29 metres in height. The star of the show was of course number 2 engine, particularly on steam-up days when it could be seen it all its working glory – huge beam, large pistons, the great wheel and giant nuts and bolts, all in an atmosphere of steam, hot oil, and a slight draught from the motion of the machinery.

The Engineerium attracted royal interest. For example, in 1978 the Duke of Edinburgh came for a visit and was impressed by what he saw, describing the Engineerium as ‘an Outward Bound School in the history of technology’. On 28 October 1993 the Duke of Kent also came to the Engineerium because he had a lifelong interest in the steam age. His visit coincided with the launch of a £4 million appeal to provide new viewing galleries, a lecture theatre, and also to expand the workshops. Although there is a great deal to see, nine-tenths of the Engineerium’s work goes on behind the scenes.

Financial Difficulties

By 1982 financial storm clouds were gathering. Jonathon Minns stated that it cost £20,000 a month to run the Engineerium, and all the staff had taken a pay cut in order to keep the show on the road. The number of in-steam days had also been reduced. The irony was that although the Engineerium was much admired abroad, it received no massive backing from the British Government. This compares badly with what was happening abroad to support similar projects. For example, In Canada 9 million dollars was provided, and in Australia it was 32 million dollars. In addition, the Engineerium had taken out a bank loan of £285,000, which required £40,000 to be paid every year for interest. The gloomy advice from some quarters was that the place should be shut down completely.

In September 1983 there came the good news that help was on its way. The owner of the site, Southern Water Authority, said it would carry out substantial improvements. East Sussex County Council was considering making a grant towards educational training, while Hove Council was being recommended to help out by purchasing items in the collection but leaving them in situ on permanent loan.

Ten years later the Engineerium was described as the world’s only centre for the teaching of engineering conservation, and as such it had been selected by the Heritage Ministry and the English Tourist Board as the South East Regional Centre for English Industrial Heritage Year, which started in March 1993.

By 1996 the team from the Engineerium had built 26 other museums around the world. They had also restored a horse-drawn tram for the London Transport Museum, and were working on a new experience at Madame Tussaud’s. In 1998 the Austrian Science Museum in Vienna sent four, rare, static steam engines to Hove for restoration. They were a steeple engine, a table engine once used to drive a paper mill, a beam engine, and a two-pillar Gothic well engine.

However, the problem of finance remained. In May 2000 Dr Minns reported that their bid for money from the National Lottery had been turned down. An alternative source of income had to be sought, and it seemed there was a good offer forthcoming from some mobile phone companies. Vodaphone had a concealed mast on the chimney, and an equipment cabin nearby. But a deal with mobile phone giants One-2-One provoked controversy when a 45-ft steel mast was erected on the site. More than 600 people objected to it as an eyesore, and a health risk because there were three schools nearby. In October 2000 it was stated that the mast would be removed.

A Water Sculpture

In 2000 Jonathon Minns’ latest project was on view at the Engineerium. He had designed the world’s largest water sculpture and it was called Water Cycle 2000. It was created over a two-year period with the assistance of the Engineerium’s team, and Peter Fagg, master carpenter and chief engineer. The water wheel is eight metres and weighs 20 tonnes, and the sculpture includes beautifully crafted wooden channels and whirlpools for the water. It will go in the atrium of a seven-storey building in Raffles Square, Singapore, and it is said to be worth a six-figure sum.

Some of the Exhibits

The viewing galleries contain a multitude of small engines, and there were many tools to be seen including those used by wheelwrights, wainwrights and millers; there is also an angry array of large saws.

There are humble domestic items such as old irons and mincers, a washing board, and a New World gas stove, once the latest thing and now a veritable antique.

In the main hall two of the most impressive and large exhibits were an 1890 Shand Mason horse-drawn fire-engine sporting a gleaming brass funnel, once the property of Barnstable, and a magnificent traction engine made by Marshall Sons & Co, Gainsborough 1886; it bears the proud title ‘Victoria, Empress of India’. The main exhibit was the Corliss horizontal steam engine, which was shown at the Paris Exhibition in 1889 and won first prize. There are also some veteran motorbikes including a 1915 Ariel with a coach-built side-car.

There was a special room devoted to youngsters called ‘The Giant’s Tool Box’ that taught them some basic engineering principles in several ‘hands-on’ working models.

The Future?

It is sad to record that in 2006 Jonathon Minns had no option other than to close the Engineerium because of the huge costs. He had fought a good fight on its behalf but it seems the Government were just not interested in supporting Britain’s brilliant history in engineering and never mind the expertise built up over the years. Minns died on 13 October 2013.

It was then reported that Mike Holland had purchased the Engineerium for a sum reputed to be in the region of £2million, with £1million for the contents. All sorts of ideas for its future were projected, and during this time there were just two open days – in 2010 and 2012. Since then Mike Holland has disappeared from the scene; the Engineerium remains closed to the public in 2021. The property was put up for sale in 2018 but there were no takers.

Sad Sale

In February 2023 it was depressing to learn that one of the unique treasures in the Engineerium is to be sold off on the open market. No doubt Bonhams were rubbing their hands with glee because such an object being up for sale is certainly not an everyday occurrence. Bonhams described the engine as ‘marvellous’ and an ‘exceptional piece of engineering’. There are said to be few examples of such an engine still extant today. The bidding is expected to reach at least £30,000

What must be the feelings of the experts who have been responsible for the maintenance of this engine since it arrived at Hove in 1975?

The venerable engine was the creation of Corliss & Wheelock and built by Crepelle et Garand in Lille, France, and when the World’s Fair was staged in 1889 the engine was awarded a Grand Prix. It is interesting to note that another structure also on display at the same time was none other than the Eiffel Tower.

The engine then undertook sterling work at Brevennes, south of Paris at the Emile Roux Hospital, and continued in use until 1940. It is described as a horizontal steam engine whereby steam entered the base of a jacketed cylinder through a main steam-valve by means of a floor-mounted capstan. (Argus 2/2/2023)

New Owners

According to the Argus (14/8/24) Goldstone Pumping Station was purchased by Luke Johnson and Paul Dolan in 2022, Mr Johnson being chairman of the Brighton Pier Group. Since then, the two men, acting as trustees, have been busy maintaining and repairing the various buildings on the estate.

In August 2024 they placed ambitious new plans before the council for their approval. The proposals concerned the gatehouse that hitherto had remained empty or just used for storage. The exterior would remain untouched, but inside the proposals are for a yoga and Pilates studio plus a space for dance and movement classes. It would bring a historic building back into public use besides generating additional income and relevant employment.

Sources

Argus

Encyclopaedia of Hove and Portslade

Mason, E A Working Man (1999) QueenSpark 36

National Portrait Gallery

Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove

Site visit in 2000

Hove in the Past

Pages

10 November 2021

Goldstone Pumping Station / Engineerium, Hove.