John H Luxton Photography

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Kennet and Avon Canal

The Kennet and Avon Canal is a waterway in southern England with an overall length of 87 miles made up of two lengths of navigable river linked by a canal.

The name is commonly used to refer to the entire length of the navigation rather than solely to the central canal section. From Bristol to Bath the waterway follows the natural course of the River Avon before the canal links it to the River Kennet at Newbury, and from there to Reading on the River Thames. In all, the waterway incorporates 105 locks.

The two river stretches were made navigable in the early 18th century, and the 57-mile (92 km) canal section was constructed between 1794 and 1810. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the canal gradually fell into disuse after the opening of the Great Western Railway who acquired the canal undertaking in 1852.

In the latter part of the 20th century the canal was restored in stages, largely by volunteers and reopened in full in 1990.

The photographs in this gallery are all taken at Crofton home to the Crofton Pumping Station.

This preserved engine house is home to two Cornish type beam engines similar to the type used for mine pumping.

Number 1 engine, built by Boulton and Watt in 1812 and rebuilt as a Cornish engine in the 1840s by Harvey & Company of Hayle, is a single-acting, condensing engine with a bore of 42.25 inches (1073 mm), a stroke of 7 feet (2134 mm) and indicated power of 38.6 horsepower (28.8 kW). It drives a 30-inch (762 mm) lift pump capable of lifting 2274 lb (1031 kg), or approximately one ton of water, per stroke, at a rate of 11 strokes a minute.

Number 2 engine, built by Harvey and Co. of Hayle in 1846 as a double-acting Sims patent combined cylinder engine it is a single-acting, condensing engine with a bore of 42 inches (1067 mm), a stroke of 7 feet 8 inches (2337 mm) and indicated power of 42 horsepower (31 kW). It drives a 30-inch (762 mm) force pump capable of lifting 2235 pounds (1014 kg), or approximately one ton of water, per stroke, at a rate of 10.2 strokes a minute.
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  • Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990

    Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990

    Crofton Pumping Station viewed from Crofton Locks.

  • Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990

    Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990

    Wilton Water sluice

  • Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990

    Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990

    Crofton Pumping Station. The engine house stack had been shortened in the 1950s, however since these photographs were taken it has been rebuilt to its full height.

  • Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990

    Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990

    Engin House building close up

  • Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990

    Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990

    The outlets from the twin pumping engines which discharge into a feeder leat for the canal located on the opposite side of the railway line.

  • Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990

    Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990

    Harvey Engine main head

  • Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990

    Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990

    Harvey Engine beam

  • Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990

    Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990

    Harvey Engine cylinder and valvegear

  • Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990

    Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990

    Harvey beam engine parallel motion

  • Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990

    Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990

    Harvey Engine parallel motion on the in board stroke

  • Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990

    Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990

    Harvey engine parallel motion

  • Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990

    Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990

    Catch wings on the Harvey engine which would protect the engine from a sudden release in load should the pumping road break.

  • Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990

    Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990

    Harvey Engine - cylinder and valve gear

  • Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990

    Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990

    Harvey engine

  • Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990

    Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990

    Control handles for the Harvey Engine.

  • Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990

    Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990

    Harvey Engine "Harding's Improved Counter" used to record the number of strokes. which was reading 9,173,145

  • Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990

    Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990

    Gauges on the Harvey Engine - the GWR owners of the Canal didn't believe in wasting items hence the gauge marked vacuum brake!

  • Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990

    Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990

    Boulton and Watt Engine pump head

  • Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990

    Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990

    Boulton & Watt engine cylinder head and valve gear.

  • Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990

    Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990

    Boulton & Watt engine cylinder head and valve gear.

  • Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990

    Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990

    Boulton & Watt Engine parallel motion

  • Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990

    Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990

    Boulton & Watt engine beam

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    Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990
    Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990
    Kennet & Avon Canal, Crofton Pumping Station, Wiltshire, England - April 14, 1990