Historic fire pump back home after four decades

Built for the Wentworth Castle estate in 1791, the fire pump is believed to be the first built by prolific inventor Joseph Bramah, and the only one of its kind still in existence.

It was held on the Wentworth estate until 1949, when it was donated to Barnsley fire brigade, before being passed on again in 1972 to the Fire Service College at Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire.

However, yesterday it was brought back to the town where it was created, and was received by staff at Barnsley Town Hall.

The engine will now join the collections of Experience Barnsley, the new social history museum which is currently under construction at the town hall and is set to open to the public in May next year.

A spokesman for Barnsley Council said: “Born in Stainborough near Barnsley, Joseph Bramah was one of Britain’s most important inventors and the father of hydraulic power.

“Among many other things, he invented a padlock that could not be picked, a beer pump, flush toilet, hydraulic presses and devices for pulling up trees.

“The fire pump being brought back to Barnsley is believed to be the only one made by him still in existence in this country.”

The spokesman added: “Hand-powered fire pumps had been around for some time, but the problem was that pressure was lost at the end of the down stroke.

“Bramah invented a top water chamber to the pump which contained a heavy ball – like a cannon ball – within a copper sphere.

“The water was pumped through this and the weight of the ball gave a constant pressure to the water being pumped, which compensated for the loss of pressure at the end of the stroke.

“Bramah’s fire pump was the first continuous-pressure fire engine and was very successful.”

Funding of £2.6m has been obtained from the Heritage Lottery Fund for the Experience Barnsley museum, which will feature collections and stories spanning thousands of years to the present day.