Description and History of Site:-
Pumping station of 1860. Now public house. Built for the Leeds Corporation Waterworks to pump water from Weetwood (WYK01057) to Bramley (WYK01043) in response to the increasing development of the city and expansion to higher areas.

The Leeds Mercury of 28th April 1860 reported "The pumping station at Headingley is ornamentally constructed and laid out, the engine-house and chimney being in the modern Elizabethan style, faced with stone rustic work, and having ashlar stone quoins and dressings. The buildings are large enough to contain two engines and three boilers, so as to provide for anticipated increase at a future day; at present one engine and one boiler only have been put down. The engine is a high pressure expansive condensing pumping engine, the cylinder being 18 inches diameter, and 3 feet stroke; the pump is of the "bucket and plunger" kind, capable of lilting upwards of 300,000 gallons to a height of 220 feet In 24 hours.

"The whole of the works, including the engine, were designed by Mr. Filliter, C.E., Borough Surveyor, and completed under his superintendence. The engine was made by Messrs. Robert Wood and Son, of Hunslet, and is an excellent specimen of workmanship and finish. The engine-house and buildings were erected by Messrs. William Wilson and Sons, of Headingley."

Further pumping capacity was installed in 1866 to supply the Chapeltown area. In 1898 and 1899, two new triple expansion steam engines with coupled ram pumps were installed. These engines were supplied by Hathorn Davy at the 'Sun Foundry' Leeds (WYK01220) and descriptions, specifications and the results of the initial trials of the engines and pumps written up in considerable detail in 'The Engineer' of February 9th 1900. In 1905 a 'lofty chimney' was described but this no longer exists. By 1952, six further turbine pumps had been installed to give an overall capacity of nearly 20 million gallons per day (gpd) of which 8 million gpd were sent to the reservoirs and water towers at Bramley, Moortown and Tinshill (WYK01255). By that time the whole pumping station ran on electricity. By the late 1980's the station had been effectively moth-balled though still technically available in an emergency. Eventually converted into a public house, 'The Headingley Taps' in 1994.

Further Reading and References:-
Leeds Corporation Waterworks Undertaking Centenary 1852-1952.

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Key Words :- water supply pumping station

Address :- North Lane, Headingley, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS6 3HN
Grid Ref :- SE 2777 3611
Co-ordinates :- Lat 53.820529 , Long -1.579657
Local Authority :- Leeds Council
Pre 1974 County :- Yorkshire - West Riding
Site Status :- Listed - Grade II
Historic England List No - 1375262,
Site Condition :- Site refurbished to industrial / commercial use
Site Dates :- 1860 -
Record Date :- 5 March 2018

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