Restoration Details

The wheel was so seriously corroded and in a state of collapse that it needed rebuilding at a cost of £60,000. 

We also acquired a large Hindley steam engine similar to the one installed here in 1876. This engine has been refurbished and housed in a pupose built building alongside a smaller Hindley engine, a Siemens electrical generator and vertical boiler. A picnic area with a stone replica of the waterwheel and visitor seating created at the rear of the wheel house. Recent donations are a Hindley Cheese Press and a Hindley Circular Saw Bench. The boiler has been lagged to improve its effiiency through a generous donation by one of our Trustees.

These projects were funded through donations from members, visitors and substantial grants from the following organisations: 

Sherborne Town Council, West Dorset District Council, Digby Memorial Trusts, Garfield Westion Trust, Pilgrim Trust, Prism Grant Fund, Awards for All, Wessex Watermark Award and Sherborne & District Society (local branch of CPRE), DEFRA, EU Chalk & Cheese, Sainsburys, Waitrose, Association for Industrail Archaeology including the Dorothea Award for restoration.

These items greatly enhance visitor attraction on open days. 

 SSWC is a registered Charity number 1099153 

The new wheel and steam engines can be seen operating on open days.

We are extremely grateful to all donors for their generous support.

We have received funds to provide a sitting and picnic area from Awards for All, Sherborne Town Council, Wessex Watermark and the Simon Digby (Sherborne) Memorial Trust which is now available on open days.

In 1876 a Hindley Steam engine was installed to boost the output of the waterwheel and we now have a similar engine which has been refurbished and is in a new Hindley Museum building funded by Chalk and Cheese, the European Agricultural Fund for European Development 2007-2013, Headley Trust and the Leisure Development Fund. We also have a smaller Hindley Steam engine on permanent loan from Kew Pumping Station - either engine will be running under steam on most open days.

Europe investing in rural area.

We are extremely grateful for your support.

Funds are needed to develop learning packages for local school pupils about water suppy in Sherborne.

Your donations can be significantly enhanced through the Gift Aid Scheme, by 22% if you pay income tax. Our registered Charity number is 1099153

Please use the gift aid slip below (to print the slip, right click on the donation slip and click "Save Target As" or "Save Link As") to aid in the refurbishment programme - many thanks.

E. S. Hindley's of Bourton first association with Castleton Pumping Station is with the submission of a tender of £862:00:00 for the supply and installation of machinery i.e. the waterwheel, drivegear and pumps. This contract went to Stothert & Pitt of Bath who installed the first waterwheel which became operational in late 1869. Two years later proposals were discussed to augment the water delivery by installing a steam engine and in 1874 estimates for building an engine house, sinking a new well and providing a steam engine, boilers, engine house and store were costed at £4,600:00:00. The contract for the steam engine and boilers was awarded to Hindleys and the new pumphouse started regular working in late 1876. In the meantime Hindleys also carried out repairs on the waterwheel at a cost of £95:17:6