Another one from the 'archives'. This pumping station was once used to

pump water into and out of the East and West Float docks in Birkenhead. Now it's disused, but the hydraulic accumulators survive, as does the incredible

tower.




The hydraulic

tower




Rails once ran in here, presumably for coal

deliveries

We started off exploring the old engine/boiler rooms which were mainly empty, apart from some old motors and bits of

junk.


Accumulators

[IMG]http://www.forties-design.co.uk/photos/ef2/to

p.jpg[/IMG]
Lamp at the top of the

ladder




Up

stairs, the old offices are in a poor

state




Scary

stairs going up to the tower entrance

The floor at the top of the stairs was rotten, and we couldn't see into the tower. Andy, a mate from

the Wirral, decided 'sod it!' and just walked across, and then started saying how amazing the tower looked. I held my breath and followed, and was greeted

with the sight of an amazing iron and wood staircase leading

upwards...



[IMG]http://www.forties-design.co.uk/photos/ef2/spiral.jpg

[/IMG]


At the top was access onto the balcony. We thought we'd reached

the top of the tower, but oh no - this was just the balcony below the old clock faces, meaning we were only about two thirds of the way up. It still felt

pretty high!


Things then started to get interesting. A short

ladder lead up into the old clock room which was now bare. Here, the ladders, floors and walls were all one construction inside the stone tower. Shaking the

ladders shook the whole lot, and wasn't advisable! Two ladders lead on up towards the top of the

tower...


And then, another lead out through the actual stone roof

of the tower structure, into a top room...


And after

that, the most pathetic excuse for a ladder ever gave access to the top of the tower (excuse the picture being the wrong way

round)...


I'd like to get back up there, but I've heard it's

been sealed up again. I'll just have to wait until the local kids smash a way in again I suppose...

An interesting postscript to the story though...

On the first picture at the top of this thread, you can see the brickwork change colour on the main building, to the right. When we were there, I wondered if

it had been bomb damage.

The following image, found at the Historic Warships museum confirmed that the tower had been hit, although the tower

survived. But just look at that spire! Unfortunately the spire was removed long ago, although the fixings could still be seen. Note also the original boiler

chimney.