Dogdyke Pumping Station Open Day 02-10-2022

Dogdyke Steam Pumping Station Open Day

Cycling UK Louth ride to the Dogdyke Steam Drainage Open Day

Sunday 2nd October 2022

Having visited back in May and enjoyed an informative visit, there had been requests of a return session. Today would be their last Open Day of the season.

Weather was in our favour, but in the end all Cycling UK Louth members had indicated that they would take up the option of an assisted ride starting from Horncastle. Here, we discovered that John, a Cycling UK Lincoln member, had chosen the 08.30 am departure from Louth on the long route option. We very much hope that he enjoyed the ride across the Wolds on what were almost perfect cycling conditions and sorry we weren’t able to accompany him on this occasion.

Departing Horncastle’s pool and fitness suite on schedule at 10.30 am were: Tim Newbery, Alan Hockham, John Ambler, Reg Bagshaw, Rob Cook and John Rickett (thanks to John Rickett for providing Rob with transportation). Apologies had been received from Chris Owen and Paul Linder.

We were soon pedalling merrily along the ‘Spa Trail’ (a multi-user path to Woodhall Spa). Apologies from Tim as he had started a little too swiftly; it must have been the porridge and honey for breakfast! Passing a number of the art installations, we would pause with time to re-group at ‘Nature Magnified’, a sculpture crafted by blacksmiths at Anwick forge near Sleaford.

The trees and shrubs lining the Spa Trail were showing signs of some Autumn colours, which looked resplendent in the sunshine and clear blue skies. With a back wind, we were soon passing the Woodhall Spa golf course and onto the Broadway where we stopped at the ‘Woodlands Café’.

Initially it seemed that there would be limited seating but we were given a large table indoors where fine refreshments were served. John Ambler plumped for and thoroughly enjoyed a bacon bun. Of course. No rush to leave today as the Pumping station wasn’t due to open until 12.30 pm.

Continuing, eventually, we enjoyed a ride along Sustans NCN 1, following the River Witham all the way to Tattershall Bridge. Reg remarked that he had in part been responsible for its maintenance a number of years ago. Today, we would depart from the Sustrans route to make our way along the rough track to Dogdyke Steam Pumping Station, just as members of the Preservation Trust had planted the ‘Open’ sign. Perfect timing.

Once again, we were made to feel welcome and we were given informative talks and demonstrations. The land was once seasonally flooded boggy marshland. As part of the enclosures act, a wind driven pump (water engine) was installed here in 1796 to drain farmland between the rivers Bain and Witham. The four 36 ft sails provided power to drive a large scoop wheel with wide wooden paddles.

The current Dogdyke steam pumping engine was built in 1856 with monies provided by the landowners, the Fortescue Family. The engine, which runs on steam on all the Open Days, is the original beam-engine built by Bradley & Craven of Wakefield. It is possibly the oldest steam-driven scoop wheel pumping set in the country that is still in steam in its original position.

The later 1940 Ruston & Hornsby oil engine is just as interesting and that too was in running order today. Ruston always insisted that this was not a ‘diesel’ engine but a ‘heavy oil’ engine, Rudolf Diesel’s patent post-dating the Hornsby engine’s patent by a year.

With the land drainage board’s work so effective nowadays, the land has shrunk and the pumping station is left high and dry, except in time of flood when used as a standby for the nearby electric pumping station.

Our visit culminated with home-made cakes washed down by tea and coffee, sitting in the warm sunshine, temperatures now a pleasant 17 degrees Celsius. Some of us would also be taking home a selection of home-made jams and marmalades.

Departing about 2 pm, we now made our way back to Horncastle via Tattershall and Kirkby on Bain, passing the Lincolnshire Wildlife Gravel Pit Reserves. A final leg at Thornton Lock (the former Horncastle Canal) we would arrive back at the pool and fitness suite a little before 3 pm.

Many thanks to all for a great day out. Cycling distance 24 miles.