Elsecar Heritage Centre. South Yorkshire. August 2011.

[SilentHill]

Elsecar Heritage Centre is a Living History centre in Elsecar, South Yorkshire. It also comprises various shops, galleries, art studios and an exhibition hall. It runs craft workshops, special events, and a monthly antiques fair. The buildings were originally used for various industries including ironworks and forges, a distillery, and engineering workshops. These fell into decline when the coal mines in the village closed.
It also has its own Elsecar goods station (called Rockingham Station) on the Elsecar Steam Railway, with a running shed behind the main centre. During some special events, trips are run to Hemingfield Basin. There are plans to extend the line to Cortonwood and build two stations (one at Cortonwood and the other at Hemingfield). The railway's depot is home to a selection of steam locomotives as well as a diesel locomotive.
The centre is also the site of the only Newcomen beam engine in the world to have remained in its original location. It was used to pump water out of Elsecar New Colliery and ran from 1795 until 1923 when is was replaced by electric pumps. It also ran briefly in 1928 when the electric pumps were overwhelmed by flooding. At its peak it could draw 600 gallons a minute. In 1972 the engine was classified as a Scheduled Ancient Monument. The engine is not currently in working order but there are plans to restore it back to its original state having required a substantial grant from the lottery.

Visited on a lovely sunny day with my other half joybee

Everything has been lovingly restored, but tourist traps don't float my boat really. I'm a far from the madding crowd kinda guy. But it's necessary, and if you want to see these type of places, then you just gotta put up with the masses I'm afraid.

Some piccies







Nice old signage.



Something to keep your MUFF warm ladies



The leaning tower of suitcases



Some trains.







Elsecar Station and foot bridge.





The Beam Engine House.





The central part of the pump. This was the only part I could shoot, as the other two floors required a really wide angle which I didn't have with me



Nice old ciggie machine.



And a couple of old fire engines to finish with



Cheers for looking

[joybee]

Lovely muff warmer!

Just a couple from me:

beam @ the top




random, abandoned wheels




Nice relaxing day