Papplewick Pumping Station
Victorian waterworks near Nottingham with restored James Watt beam engines, run in steam on eight weekends a year.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Papplewick Pumping Station was built between 1881 and 1884 by the Nottingham Corporation water department to supply clean water to the fast-growing city. The city engineer, Marriott Ogle Tarbotton, designed the Gothic Revival engine house and boiler house, which are decorated far more richly than most utility buildings of the time. Two beam engines by James Watt & Co. of Birmingham, fed by steam from six boilers, did the pumping.
The station stopped pumping in 1969, when modern electric submersible pumps took over. The Papplewick Pumping Station Trust was formed in 1974 to save the site, and the museum first opened to visitors in April 1976. A major restoration was formally opened in 2005. The engine house, boiler house and workshop are listed Grade II*, and the whole site is a Scheduled Monument.
Today the Trust, a registered charity run largely by volunteers, shows the engines in steam on eight weekends a year. Visitors can see the engine house, the boiler house, the Linby Colliery winding engine and the grounds with the cooling pond. On steam weekends there is also an underground reservoir tour and a miniature steam railway.
Highlights
- Two restored James Watt & Co. beam engines
- Ornate Gothic Revival engine house by Marriott Ogle Tarbotton
- Boiler house with Lancashire boilers
- Underground reservoir tour on steam weekends
- Linby Colliery winding engine
- Miniature steam railway on steam weekends
- Founded
- 1976
- Operated by
- Papplewick Pumping Station Trust
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £4 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 11 · Children under 12 are free on steam weekends. |
| Visitors with disabilities | –companion free · Unpaid carers with valid carer documentation enter free; the person they care for pays. |
| Steam weekend adult (18+), online | £14£14.50 on the door. The ticket includes a 12-month pass for later steam events. |
| Steam weekend senior (60+), student or child 12–17, online | £13£13.50 on the door; children under 12 are free. |
| Underground reservoir tour (steam events only) | £4Listed as £4 per person plus £1 per child under 16; tickets are sold on the day. |
On static open days the grounds are free and the engine house and boiler house cost £4 per person, including a self-guided tour. Steam weekend prices are for 2026; the miniature railway is charged separately. Employees of Severn Trent Water enter steam events free with ID. Card payments are accepted only on static open days.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: not available
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The site is a Scheduled Monument, so there are no lifts. The engine house ground floor is flat, but its upper floors are reached by cast-iron staircases and an access book shows them. The boiler house floor is cobbled and the reservoir tour involves steps, so it is not suitable for visitors with mobility difficulties. Two wheelchairs can be borrowed, and there are accessible toilets in the Superintendent’s House and the café block. There is no hearing loop. Disabled parking is at the entrance on steam weekends.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 11 |
|---|
- Playground / play area
There is a children’s play area and a miniature steam railway on steam days, and school groups can book a drama-based visit. Dogs are welcome on short leads.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Bus stop on the A60 near Miller & Carter
There is no direct bus to the entrance. The nearest bus stop is on the A60 near the Miller & Carter restaurant, about 2 miles away. The nearest tram stop is Hucknall, about 5 miles away.
By car
Free parking
Free parking. On static open days visitors drive through the main gates and park at the top of the drive; on steam weekends the main car park is across the road from the main gates, with disabled spaces at the entrance.
- Accessible parking
Taxis are the practical option from Hucknall tram stop. Navigate to Rigg Lane, Ravenshead, NG15 9AJ.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Museum shop
Café with toilets, plus a kiosk open 11:00 to 14:00 on static open days. Plants are sold in the greenhouse on steam days. Picnics are welcome.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
- Weddings / ceremonies
Up to 75 guests.
Weddings are held in the engine house (ceremonies for up to about 40 seated guests, 75 in the building in total) with the old board room and the Tarbotton Room in the Superintendent’s House. The site is a seasonal venue with no winter weddings.
Inquiries & detailsPlan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 20 min |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | On static days the engine house and boiler house are visited on a self-guided tour. The underground reservoir tour runs only during steam events and takes about 20 minutes; visitors need to be moderately fit. Experience Steam days let visitors learn to stoke a boiler and run a beam engine. School groups can book “A Temple to Water”, a drama-based visit for Key Stages 2 and 3 (education@papplewickpumpingstation.org.uk). |
