Crofton Chimney

Situated in the Wiltshire countryside 6 miles from the picturesque market town of Marlborough, this Grade 1 listed building houses two magnificent Cornish beam engines, one of which (the 1812 Boulton and Watt) is the oldest working beam engine in the world still in its original engine house and capable of actually doing the job for which it was installed.

Crofton Pumping Station was built in 1807 to provide water to the summit of the Kennet and Avon Canal.


The Chimney
The history section describes how in 1959, the chimney had to be truncated because of structural instability. In fact it had developed a most pronounced banana like curve! This is quite common with tall chimneys. The side facing the prevailing wind gets colder than the other side, resulting in a larger build up of combustion acids in the mortar on that side. Eventually this mortar crumbles due to the dissolving effects of the acids and the chimney begins to 'bend'.

Before the new top was built onto the old stump, a series of stainless steel anchor rods were fixed between the top of the stump and the foundation, and these were tensioned to provide stabilisation.
Sadly it was closed today, so I had to settle for a shot of the chimney