Description and History of Site:-
Alford Drainage Board was constituted on the 1st April 1937 with the duty to maintain and improved the drainage of some 22,250 hectares in the vicinity of Alford. During the 1939-45 War it became apparent that, as wheat grows best when the water table is about 3ft (1m below) the surface, a key requirement to improving grain yields was a lowering of the water table. Whilst this could be achieved to some extent by cutting land drains and improving existing water courses, in low lying coastal areas a point is reached after which surplus water cannot be discharged to sea without the aid of pumping. Anderby was one of the first sites chosen for a new generation of pumping stations and construction commenced towards the end of the War.

Although the station was officially opened in 1945, it did not become fully operational until Wednesday 13th February 1946 when No 1 pump commenced operation. No 2 pump commenced operation the following Saturday. The pumping station, which remains substantially as built, houses two fully operational Ruston 10 HRC semi-diesel engines each driving a single Allen Gwynne CFH 42" (1.06m) pump capable of handling 1,000 gallons (4,500 litres) per second. Although the station was replaced by modern electric pumps in 1992 the pumps have been retained in operational condition for use in emergencies. Under normal low tide conditions water is discharged though a covered outfall channel. During wet periods the pumps lift the drainage water into a large online storage pond equip with pointing doors which prevent water either flowing back into the drainage network or the ingress of sea water at high tide. As the tide rises the water level in the pond increases so that it remains above the level of tide thus ensuring that water continues to be discharged. The pumping also has the effect of producing a strong outflow as the tide falls ensuring that there is no build up of sand in the outfall channel. In addition to the pumps, the station houses a small collection of land drainage tools. These include the long handled spades used to dig the narrow land drainage trenches which were about 4ft (1.2m) deep and 9 to 12 inches (250 to 300 mm) wide. Historically bundles of willow were placed at the bottom of these to provide an open drainage channel, however during C19 these were superseded by clay drainage tiles and pipes. The pumping station began working on 13th February 1946. The original equipment was superseded by electric pumps in 1992, though it has been retained for emergency use.

Further Reading and References:-
Wright N R, Lincolnshire's Industrial Heritage - A Guide, Society for Lincolnshire History and Archaeology, 2004

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Key Words :- land drainage pumping station diesel engines

Viewing the Site :- Open as museum on some Sundays during summer and can be viewed from adjacent road

Address :- Gowts Bridge, Anderby Creek, Sutton on Sea, Lincolnshire, PE24 5XJ
Grid Ref :- TF 54568 76039
Co-ordinates :- Lat 53.258841 , Long 0.315723
Local Authority :- East Lindsey District Council
Pre 1974 County :- Lincolnshire - Lindsey
Site Status :- Site extant - Protected status unknown
Site Condition :- Operational site, in use for original purpose
Site Dates :- 1945 - current
Record Date :- 31 July 2014

Copyright :- cc-by-nc-sa 4.0 © John Suter