Archaeological Investigations at Ashted Pumping Station, Eastside Locks, Birmingham

An archaeological excavation was undertaken in March 2022 at Ashted pumping station, Eastside Locks, Birmingham (NGR SP 08065 87493). This comprised the excavation of the former pumping station next to the Digbeth Branch Canal and the recording of a section of wall belonging to the formerBelmont Glass Works. The project was commissioned by St Joseph, in advance of a proposed redevelopment of the site. Planning permission has been granted subject to a programme of archaeological works. The remains of the Ashted Pumping Station were excavated prior to the redevelopment of the site. he Pumping Station began operating in 1812 and was in operation until 1922. Henry Ford purchased the engine for his museum at Dearborn, Michigan in 1928, just prior to the demolition of the building. Originally evaluated in 2007, the site was excavated in the same year with a view to preserve it in situ. In the intervening years, however, that decision was changed, and it was deemed necessary to fully excavate the site. The lower levels of the pump house, with a well shaft, condenser tank and boiler room, were all identified, excavated, and recorded. Although the engine room was mostly of single phase, the boiler room had two distinct phases of construction relating to the change from the original wagon boiler type to Lancashire-type. Allied with archival and documentary evidence, the archaeological remains demonstrate both the advancements made in boiler technology and the longevity of low-pressure steam engines over a hundred-year period. The links to Henry Ford add a further historical dimension to the site whilst also illustrating the value placed on the heritage of the industrial revolution.