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Thread: Central Hydraulic Tower, Birkenhead

  1. #1

    Default Central Hydraulic Tower, Birkenhead

    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.


  2. #2
    Senior Member Waterways's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by snappel View Post
    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.
    Great tower. It was used to pump water in and out of the Alfred Dock locks, also Alfred Dock and East Float and open and

    close the lock gates. I'm pretty sure West Float has its own pumps which is quite a way up the docks - I could be wrong.

    The accumulator was just a

    large cylinder with a very heavy piston to apply pressure - the piston may open topped and filled with gravel (or even water in some cases). The higher

    water is the greater the pressure as gravity pulls on the water (why tanks are on hills). To have the equivalent of a 180 metres high tower gives 6 bar

    pressure at the bottom if the water is stored at the top. 6 bar is 88 pounds per squ inch. If you have a cylinder with a heavy piston with each squ inch of

    the piston weighing 88 lbs you don't need to build a high tower - it can be at ground level. You need a pump that gives over 88 pounds per squ inch of

    pressure, but not a lot of volume, to charge up the cylinder slowly. Then the water is released quickly and in volume to open large lock gates. The piston

    accumulators apply a constant pressure on the hydraulic system.

    The towers also acted as buffers to smooth out the water pressure to various

    pumps.

    Above. the ship is at the

    vegetable oil berth at Alfred Dock. The lefty side of the bridge is East Float. The whole of Alfred Dock is used as a lock for large ships. Water is pumped

    in and out of the dock.

    I love Birkenhead Docks. The Floats are massive and great the way they spiral way inland. Ships could turn around with in

    the floats. It was the old Wallasey Pool inlet just locked off at the river and quays added. Bidston docks is now filled in and a further docks was

    earmarked to be cut in after Bidston. If this dock was built, the docks would not be far from Liverpool Bay giving the docks two entrances. That was

    suggested at one time.



    Above: Alfred Dock is the furthest small dock

    north on the river. The tower can be seen.



    Above: A large ship, with a

    red hull, is berthed at the West Float and looks very small. Bidston Dock is in-filled and where the green patch is. A criminal act to fill that in.
    Last edited by Waterways; 11-01-2006 at 11:43 AM.
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    Senior Member shytalk's Avatar
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    Great pictures, what became of the 'Four Bridges' that led to seacombe ferry, I don't see them in the ariel view?
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  4. #4
    scouserdave
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    Quote Originally Posted by snappel View Post
    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.
    What a stunning set of

    pics!

  5. #5
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  6. #6

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    Interesting info there Waterways. When was Bidston Dock filled in?

  7. #7
    Senior Member Waterways's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by shytalk View Post
    Great pictures, what became of the 'Four Bridges' that led to seacombe ferry, I don't see them in

    the ariel view?
    As Wallasey Dock has been fuilled in and locks into Morpeth Dock are inactive, many of the bridges have been removed. The

    shot from tower of Alfred Dock showws one of the bridges. The road is still there and can been seen in the air shot.
    The new Amsterdam at Liverpool?
    Save Liverpool Docks and Waterways - Click

    Deprived of its unique dockland waters Liverpool
    becomes a Venice without canals, just another city, no
    longer of special interest to anyone, least of all the
    tourist. Would we visit a modernised Venice of filled in
    canals to view its modern museum describing
    how it once was?


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  8. #8
    Senior Member Waterways's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by snappel View Post
    Interesting info there Waterways. When was

    Bidston Dock filled in?
    2002 under protest. It was filled in because they wanted to make land and sell it. There is a park on Bidston Moss

    and no need to fill in the dock. The quays and sheds area still there and can still be seen on the photo. It should be excavated and allow deep water craft

    in, and have this proposed shopping mall around it.

    On the Wirral, Morpeth branch dock has been filled in - behind the tunnel vent tower on the river

    front. One line of sheds can still be seen, the docks was diamond shaped. Wallasey Dock has also been filled in along with Bidston Dock and a number of

    graving docks on the West Float near Biston. Also the large Bromborough Dock has also been filled in.

    Wirral has also needlessly lost a hell of a

    lot of water space.
    Last edited by Waterways; 11-01-2006 at 11:37 AM.
    The new Amsterdam at Liverpool?
    Save Liverpool Docks and Waterways - Click

    Deprived of its unique dockland waters Liverpool
    becomes a Venice without canals, just another city, no
    longer of special interest to anyone, least of all the
    tourist. Would we visit a modernised Venice of filled in
    canals to view its modern museum describing
    how it once was?


    Giving Liverpool a full Metro - CLICK
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  9. #9

    Default

    Is that another pump house, east from the central one, by the riverside with the chimney on it?

  10. #10

    Default Hydraulic Tower Photos

    Hello all
    Does anyone know where i can get the photos of the Hydraulic Tower referred to by forum member 'Snapel'? I'm doing an Architectural theisis design project based around the tower and keen to get photos from inside along with any other info, plans, images of it, the east float and Wallasey Pool prior to docks.
    I'm also keen to hear from anyone with opinions on the Mersey Waters development.
    Thanks in advance and congrats on a brilliant forum

  11. #11
    Senior Member gregs dad's Avatar
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    merseyside building by exacta2a, on Flickr

    Here it is used as a pigeon loft now
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    Senior Member Norm NZ's Avatar
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    Re Snappel's post No1: I'm unable to see pictures! can anyone tell me why? please.

  13. #13
    Senior Member gregs dad's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Norm NZ View Post
    Re Snappel's post No1: I'm unable to see pictures! can anyone tell me why? please.
    I think he may have deleted them Norm.
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  14. #14
    Senior Member Norm NZ's Avatar
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    Thanks for the answer Joe! pity they were deleted! I enjoy ALL the photo's. and they are appreciated Cheers


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