Central Hydraulic Tower, Birkenhead

[snappel]

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.

[Waterways]

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.

[shytalk]

Great pictures, what became of the 'Four Bridges' that led to seacombe ferry, I don't see them in the ariel view?

[scouserdave]

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!

[Kev]

Yes, a fandabidozey

set

[snappel]

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

[Waterways]

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.

[Waterways]

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.

[snappel]

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

[soupster]

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

[gregs dad]

merseyside building by exacta2a, on Flickr

Here it is used as a pigeon loft now

[Norm NZ]

Re Snappel's post No1: I'm unable to see pictures! can anyone tell me why? please.

[gregs dad]

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.

[Norm NZ]

Thanks for the answer Joe! pity they were deleted! I enjoy ALL the photo's. and they are appreciated Cheers