Author: nottsgt

Thomas Hawksley, born in Arnold on 12 July 1807, became one of the leading British water engineers of the nineteenth century.

Locally, he was engineer to the Nottingham Waterworks Company for more than half a century. He was responsible for designing Bestwood Pumping Station, built in the early 1870s just a few miles north of his birthplace on land owned by the Duke of St Albans.

Bestwood Pumping Station by Chris Allen

The design had to meet with the Duke’s approval, so the surrounding grounds were laid out to a careful design with the buildings and cooling ponds arranged for ornamental effect.

The chimney was disguised as a 52 metre high campanile which, together with its stained-glass windows and other ornate details, made the Pumping Station look like a true cathedral of industry. It stands as a prominent landmark next to the A60 Mansfield Road to the north.

The Bestwood Pumping Station site is listed on the Historic England Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England.

Several of the structures are also listed, including the pump house (grade 2*), lodges and the cooling pond together with several cast iron lamps.

The site was reopened in April 2021 as a wedding/events/dining venue.

Do you love parks, gardens and heritage? Do you have experience that might help further the aims of the Trust, or would you like to gain experience as part of a charitable organisation in Nottinghamshire? We’re looking for new Trustees and volunteers.

For more information please contact us at nottsgt@gmail.com.

As part of our HLF-supported project to revive a gardens trust for Nottinghamshire, we are now registered charity number 1180729. This will enable us to make progress with fundraising, building our membership and progressing the aims of NGT.

We are pleased to announce that the Nottinghamshire Gardens Trust has been supported by a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we will be able to help the Trust to grow and promote our aim to help more people enjoy and conserve Nottinghamshire’s historic parks and gardens. We will post details of upcoming events soon and look forward to seeing you at one of these.