Twyford Waterworks celebrates past and future
An historic Hampshire waterworks celebrated its 125th anniversary alongside a £2.3m upgrade.
125 years of history
Queen Victoria was on the throne, Britain was fighting the Boer War and Winston Churchill had just become an MP when Twyford Water Works first started pumping water in 1900.
Drinking water was extracted from underground bore holes, softened via lime kilns then pumped by steam engine to homes in and around Southampton. The same bore holes are used today – although the technology has evolved – and the Southern Water-owned works near Winchester continue to supply some five million households.
The original pumping station, adjacent to the modern operational site, is now a Scheduled Ancient Monument restored and managed by the Twyford Waterworks Trust.
The Trust marked the 125th anniversary of the station with an open day on Sunday (June 1), when visitors were able to explore the buildings, see some of the machinery in action and view the exhibits.
There will be further public open days every first Sunday of the month until October where people can learn about the history of drinking water, join free guided tours, follow the children’s Twyford Toad Trail and watch the industrial railway that used to transport goods around the site.
Alex Willumsen, Southern Water’s Community Partnerships and Programme Manager, said: “Twyford Waterworks is a brilliant example of our local history and the teamwork that keeps water flowing today. Visiting is a great way to connect with our heritage, support the volunteers, and enjoy a day out with family or friends.”
Trust Chairman Graham Feldwick said: ”Twyford Waterworks is a unique site where the complete history of water pumping can be seen and enjoyed on our Open Days. It is also an important haven for wildlife. Our Trust is 100% voluntary, and our volunteers work tirelessly to restore and maintain much of the original machinery so that it can be seen at work again. It’s great that our Trust and Southern Water are celebrating 125 years together.”
Meanwhile, the modern part of the site has undergone a £2.3m upgrade, improving resilience and water security for customers for the next 25 years. Southampton-based contractor Trant Engineering installed new equipment, including pumps, pipework, water quality monitoring and electrical equipment, whilst maintaining the water supply.
Mike Daly, Trant’s Project Engineer said, “The site posed several unique challenges, one of which was to install a temporary, 36m-long, 5-ton pipe bridge to allow access for the Trust, including movement of steam traction engines as well as horses along the adjacent bridleway, and to ensure continued water supply to the reservoir.”
Learn more about Open Days at Twyford Waterworks.