Cof Cymru: National Historic Assets of Wales · Wales
Former Cardiff and District Western District Sewerage Pumping Station.
Grangetown, Cardiff, Wales
The record
- Designation
- Listed building, Grade II
- Broad class
- Water Supply and Drainage
- Date of designation
- 19 May 1975
- Date of amendment
- 23 January 2020
- Welsh name
- Hen Orsaf Pwmpio Carthffosiaeth Rhanbarth Gorllewinol Caerdydd a’r Cylch
- Community
- Grangetown
- Unitary authority
- Cardiff
- Country
- Wales
- Coordinates
- 51.45679, -3.19855
- Cadw reference
- 13775
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 5 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1636 "Cornubia : Devonia, Somersetus, Dorcestria, Wiltonia, Glocestria ..." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
Cadw's description
Location
Set back from Penarth Road to NE of flyover.
History
Built in 1907-10 at a cost of £182,000 as a sewerage pumping station to service the western district of Cardiff. Designed by the Cardiff City Engineer W Harpur with a foundation stone laid 29 April 1907 by Alderman Mildon, chairman of the Cardiff Corporation public works committee in a ceremony attended by contractors, Lord Mayor W S Crossman and corporation officials.
It was constructed with engine room, boiler house, workshops, offices and stores and originally had a 125ft brick circular chimney stack. The pumping was carried out by 4 sets of Summers and Scott’s 3-crank compound direct acting steam engines, each capable of lifting 150,000 gallons per hour; 2 sets designed to cope with a normal flow of 50,000 gallons per hour and the other 2 sets assisted by vertical gas engines to cope with additional storm water. 4 Babcock and Wilcox water tube boilers provided the steam for the engines.
Converted for use as antiques warehouse, circa 1990.
Exterior
Yellow brick with red brick dressings, banding and eaves cornice; stone kneelers and copings, slate roofs with glazed ridge ventilators, small pane metal glazing. Facing Penarth Road, main block has six round-headed windows with red brick arches. Thin pilasters flank the 3 right-hand window bays and are carried up above the eaves as chimneys. To R, lower block with gabled end. Below main block, modern extensions imitating its style and materials.
Left end wall has 1 large and 2 smaller round-headed windows. Above the large window is a lunette window with a pediment above this (with oculus), flanked by chimneys. Similar treatment to R end, but 2 windows with lunettes above doorway (L), and 2 windows (R). To rear, pair of attached blocks at right angle, in similar style, 5 blocked windows to NE; gables facing SE each have group of 4 windows at upper level. To SW, attached lower parallel range with 3 arched windows and red brick chimney, and lower block with 3 camber-headed windows.
1907 date stone on W corner of S elevation, inaccessible at inspection.
Interior
Main block has steel roof trusses, glazed brick dado, terrazzo floors; travelling crane. Rear blocks have steel roof trusses.
Reason for designation
Listed as well-preserved industrial building with striking use of building materials.
Nearby in the register
- Church of St DochdwyReligious, Ritual and Funeraryunder 1 mi
- Pillar-Cross in Llandough ChurchyardCrossunder 1 mi
- Pound CottageDomesticunder 1 mi
- Former National School and School-houseEducationunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.