Sherborne Steam and Waterwheel Centre
About
Sherborne Steam and Waterwheel Centre, formerly known as Castleton Waterwheel Museum, is run by a local group of volunteers who over the past 25 years have rescued the waterwheel and its house from serious neglect, provided a new building to house a refurbished Hindley steam engine. The wheel, 26 feet in diameter having steel rims, 72 steel buckets, and a cast iron rim-gear, is unique in having three leats providing water in high breast shot array; it also has a system of ventilated buckets invented by William Fairbairn in the early part of the 19th century.
In 1876 a Hindley Steam Engine was added and we now have a similar engine and boiler in a new building that will run under steam on open days. This Hindley engine was originally installed at Gillingham Brickworks and has a 11 feet 6 inches diameter flywheel so strong local link.
The installation provided clean water for the inhabitants of Sherborne in 1869 and ran until 1959 when it was replaced by electrical borehole pumps.
Do look at our website www.sswc.co.uk for latest information.
Learning
Group visits welcome by prior arrangement. Numbers may be restricted because of space constraints. Please contact the museum directly to discuss your requirements.
Facilities
| Parking | |
| Refreshments | |
| Gift shop | |
| Gardens/Grounds | |
| Toilets | |
| Toilets for Wheelchair Users | |
| Guided Tours | |
| Audio Tours | |
| Wheelchair Accessability | |
| Induction Loop | |
| Facilities for the Blind / Visually Impaired | |
| Group Visits | |
| School Visits | |
| Outreach activities |
Contact
Oborne Road
Sherbourne
Dorset
Geoff Ward +44(0) 1963 250206
Rob Harris +44(0) 1935 389535
or
Via contact form on website
For 90 years from 1869 Sherborne’s water was pumped by a giant waterwheel which is housed in a listed pumphouse. The waterwheel was supplemented after a short time by a large steam engine. We have restored both the waterwheel and a similar steam engine and they can be seen running on open days. The engine, which was built near Gillingham in Dorset, has a 3.25 metre flywheel weighing 6.5 tons and runs under its own steam in an Edwardian style engine house which has been specially constructed for it. We have a visitor centre which gives a good insight into local history, several stationary engines which we run on open days and a picnic area.
