Newcomen Beam Engine
Project Description
The Newcomen Beam Engine at Elsecar is one of South Yorkshire's finest surviving legacies of the Industrial Revolution. It is the only Newcomen – type atmospheric pressure beam engine in the world to have remained in its original location.
The Newcomen Beam Engine was built to extract water from Elsecar New Colliery, to allow the exploitation of deeper coal seams. It was built by John Bargh of Chesterfield in 1795 at a cost of £167 19s 3 3/3d. The incorrect date stone above the door actually reads 1787.
The Beam Engine 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.
