Fynnon y Winch (Pump House)

Cadw's description

Location

Located in fields to the S of Durval Farm. Situated at a high point along the course of a stream.

History

Horse-gin powered pump house, possibly C18. The yellow brick dressings are probably a C19 addition.

Exterior

Pump house of octagonal plan, with partially collapsed hipped roof. Roughly coursed masonry with quoins, slate-covered roof. Low plinth course. Yellow brick dressings to door and window openings. Planked door and shutters. The door is to the N, and the frame has a segmentally arched head and contains a partially collapsed door. Raised threshold with recess below, blocked with brick. Windows to S, E and W, all with segmental heads and stone sills. However, the head of the E window has collapsed.

Interior

Central stone well with circular shaft. The iron winding mechanism is preserved above and is gear-driven. Two large timbers cross the shaft c 1m below floor level. Across the top of the shaft is timber planking supported on beams, which in turn supports the winding mechanism. This consists of a horizontal iron wheel with cogs on the underside. The cogs link with a small vertical gear wheel, which move the vertical bars which pass down the shaft for raising water. There is an outlet pipe in the S side of the shaft near the top. The bearing on top of the horizontal wheel is attached to an open-topped shaft at an angle to the horizontal, to which the horse would have been attached. The roof structure consists of rafters at each angle, and mid-way between the angles. Attached to the underside of these are horizontal struts which meet underneath the apex of the roof, and are covered by a metal plate. The windows have wide splayed reveals and timber lintels.

Reason for designation

Listed as a very rare survival of a horse-gin powered pump with winding mechanism, in an agricultural and estate setting.
Group value with listed items in the park.