Crofton is a delightful and fascinating example of a very fine piece of well preserved Industrial Heritage. The building lies in beautiful rolling countryside on the Kennet & Avon Canal, between Hungerford and Marlborough. Built nearly 200 years ago, its function was to raise water 40 feet to a high point in the canal. It houses two wonderfully preserved Cornish Beam Engines. The oldest is a Boulton & Watt, installed in 1812, which stands alongside a Harvey engine of 1846. The Boulton & Watt engine is the oldest working beam engine in the world still in its original engine house and still capable of performing the task for which it was installed. An enthusiastic voluntary team of engineers maintain the engines and run them regularly under steam during the summer months. (Details on their web site www.croftonbeamengines.org ). I can confirm that it’s a very exciting spectacle, having been privileged to experience the sights and sounds and smells and vibrations of the engines being started and run.
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