Brede Waterworks

Brede Waterworks (grid reference TQ 813 178) is a waterworks at Brede, East Sussex, England. It was built to supply Hastings with drinking water. The waterworks still houses two of the three steam engines that were used to pump water from Brede to reservoirs at Fairlight and Baldslow.

By the 1890s, Hastings Corporation was faced with increasing demand for water in the town. A recommendation was made that a site at Glynde would be suitable. This site had previously been identified in 1875. Another site identified as suitable was at West Dean, East Sussex. However, amateur geologist and councillor Thomas Elworthy recommended a site at Brede, claiming that its proximity to Hastings would make the scheme cheaper. In 1897, Hastings Corporation purchased Church House Farm, Brede and sunk three wells to supply Hastings with water. Two of the wells are 275 feet (84 m) deep, located north of the River Brede while the third is 200 feet (61 m) deep and is located south of the river. A pumping station was built to house a steam engine which pumped the water from the wells to a storage reservoir at Fairlight. The waterworks opened in 1904.

Construction of the waterworks was aided by a 18 in (457 mm) gauge tramway which ran from a wharf on the River Brede to the waterworks. Rail was 16 pounds per yard (7.9 kg/m). A steam locomotive was used to haul construction materials. Four three-ton bogie open wagons were also provided. On completion of the waterworks, the tramway and locomotive were retained to bring coal from the wharf to the waterworks to supply the boilers for the steam engines. A pony was the alternate motive power when the steam locomotive was out of service. Although no public passenger service was provided, the tramway did carry passengers on occasion when officials from Hastings Corporation visited the waterworks. Straw and hessian sacks provided makeshift seating in the open wagons. In the 1920s, the River Brede ceased to be navigable, and that section of the tramway was abandoned. Coal was brought in from Doleham Halt on the Ashford to Hastings line to a transfer shed built some 150 yards (140 m) north of the wharf. A road was built to serve the waterworks and the tramway closed c1937. The rails were later removed. From that date, coal was delivered by lorry directly to the waterworks from Hastings station. In 1964, electric pumps replaced the steam engines and the boilers were scrapped.

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