View from NW showing NW front of beam engine with church in background

Description View from NW showing NW front of beam engine with church in background

Date 7/5/1970

Collection Papers of Professor John R Hume, economic and industrial historian, Glasgow, Scotland

Catalogue Number SC 733044

Category On-line Digital Images

Scope and Content Water-bucket Pumping Engine, Straitsteps Mine, Wanlockhead, Dumfries & Galloway Veins of lead ore in the Wanlockhead area were developed from the 17th century with encouragement from the Queensberry Estate. Together with Leadhills, next door in Lanarkshire, Wanlockhead had the richest deposits of lead ore in Scotland. This shows a pumping engine of primitive type, apparently installed in the mid-late 19th century, from the pumping end. A bucket at the other end of the beam, filled with water and then emptied, moved the ends of the beam up and down, actuating the pump rod at this end. The concrete cap covers the shaft. This engine, built of wood, with some iron fittings, escaped the wartime drive for scrap which removed most relics of lead mining in this area, and by 1970 was the most interesting relic of the industry. It was, shortly afterwards, taken into state care, and carefully repaired. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

External Reference H35/70/16/2

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/733044

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap