Alnwick Garden Cascade

This photo of the wonderful water cascade in Alnwick Garden is slightly different from the standard "postcard" shot. That's because during our day in the Garden we were able to take their "Pump Room" tour which allows you to see the workings of the Cascade. It was fascinating to see the workings and to hear the statistics, of which we were told too many to remember. 
However apparently 7260 gallons of water per minute flow down the cascade when it's in full flow. The electricity bill is £400 per day!

As you can see my Editor was also taking photos.

The red pumps and pipes are there to supply water directly to the wooden treehouse fire sprinkler system. The tree house is several hundred yards from the Cascade but this arrangement was thought necessary for safety as the treehouse contains an open wood fire (albeit behind a gauze screen). The main red pump is electric but there's a diesel backup just in case. We were told that they accidentally tested the system a few years ago when an extractor system from the kitchen went wrong. Things got slightly wet...!

In case you feel cheated, the extra is a photo of part of the Cascade seen from the "normal" aspect.