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Monument details

HER Number:TQ 75 SW 66
Type of record:Listed Building
Name:Former East Farleigh waterworks

Summary

On the north bank of the River Medway and in conjunction with a pumphouse and mortuary (TQ 75 SW 74) stands a pumping station built by Maidstone Water Co. in 1860. It is a tall, yellow brick structure with red-brick buttressed corners. Against the west side is a single storey building of yellow brick which was probably the boiler house.

The buildings are used as workplaces at present.

Summary from record TQ 75 SW 153:

Grade II listed building. Main construction periods 1860 to 1860


Grid Reference:TQ 7345 5356
Map Sheet:TQ75SW
Parish:BARMING, MAIDSTONE, KENT

Monument Types

Protected Status:Listed Building (II) 1263788: FORMER EAST FARLEIGH WATERWORKS

Full description

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Evaluation trenching in 1991 revealled the footings of two walls, a robber trench, wall plaster fragements, a possible flue and two floor surfaces interpreted as a large Ro villa. Coin and ceramic fragments date the occupation to mid 4th C. (1) Fragment of IA sword also found.(1) Two adjacent water pumping stations built by the Maidstone Water Co in 1860. At TQ 7343 5355 is the 'Egyptian House' (now 'Bridge Chambers') an Egyptian style building by James Pilbrow, lister grade II and converted to offices in the 1980s. This stands on the river bank with, just behind it, the 'Old Pumping Station' (poss built just after the other building), a tall yellow brick structure with massive red brick buttressed corners, high parapet and pairs of small round headed windows. Unusually unadorned design with a single storey range against the W side (prob former boilerhouse). Presently disused. (1) Further study of the waterworks provides an interesting contrast in the architectural treatment of two pumphouses built for the same company. The new pumphouse had clearly contained a single beam pumping engine, with the pumps to the southern end and the cylinders to the north. Comparison of the archaeology and the primary sources show that the staircases, galleries and beam loft were of timber construction, in contrast of the well known examples, of cast iron. In contrast to the pumphouse, the 'mortuary' was impossible to interpret from its visible archaeology. (2)

Description from record TQ 75 SW 153:
The following text is from the original listed building designation:
FARLEIGH BRIDGE TQ 75 SW BARMING 2/7 Former East Farleigh Waterworks GV II Waterworks, now coachworks and joinery. 1860, by James Pilbrow, in an Egyptian style. Gault brick in English bond. Rectangular. 2 storeys. Coursed stone plinth towards river to south. Battered clasping buttress to each corner, and 2 set close together towards centre of each long side, all running into deep brick plat band under eaves. Rendered coved cornice with deep roll to base and chamfer to top. Low rendered parapet. Truncated projecting brick stack, formerly tall and tapering, filling most of east gable end, with cornice carried round it and bearing the initial "P". Irregular fenestration to south of one small first-floor casement almost filling the narrow central bay and one broad 10- pane window with thin glazing bars to each outer bay of ground floor, all with rendered architraves and deep rendered coved and splayed cornices. 2 inserted 3-light wooden casements. Similar first-floor window to north. First-floor door to left gable end. Single-storey section in a similar style adjoining north-west corner. 2 doorways with rendered coved and splayed cornices flanking base of stack to east. Interior not inspected. (J.S. Curl, The Egyptian Revival, 1982).
Listing NGR: TQ7188154503


<1> Not applicable, SMR Kent uncatalogued index entry, Site visit DC Eve May 1996 (Miscellaneous Material). SKE6440.

<2> Untitled Source, Oxford Archaeological Unit, 1997, New pumphouse, East Farleigh, Maidstone (Unpublished document). SKE6451.

Sources and further reading

Cross-ref. Source description
<1>Miscellaneous Material: Not applicable. SMR Kent uncatalogued index entry. Site visit DC Eve May 1996.
<2>Unpublished document: Oxford Archaeological Unit, 1997, New pumphouse, East Farleigh, Maidstone.

Related records

TQ 75 SW 67Parent of: East Farleigh waterworks reservoir (Monument)
TQ 75 SW 69Parent of: Reservoir at St. Andrew's Road, Barming, Maidstone (Monument)

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