Enjoy a breathtaking tour of Papplewick’s underground reservoir. This architectural marvel, built by the celebrated engineer Thomas Hawksley in 1879, once stored the water that the mighty beam engines pumped to the surface. But its service career was cut dramatically short and it was closed within twenty five years. How could such an engineering marvel be abandoned and forgotten? Take a tour and find out why.

Tours of the pumping are available during steam events and tickets can be bought at the top of the main drive from the ticket kiosk. We run eight tours per day and each tour takes 26 people and includes a ride on a passenger trailer. Please note that access into the reservoir involves two flights of stairs. The tour itself lasts approximately twenty minutes.