Papplewick Pumping Station
BEST FOR
Ages 0+
ENTRY
from £4
SETTING
Outdoors
WHERE
Nottingham
What it’s like
Victorian beam engines and a wooded play area near Nottingham, with steam days when the engines actually run.
Most of the year this is a quiet wander round a Victorian waterworks. Grounds entry is free, and £4 gets you a self-guided tour round the engine and boiler house, wandering past machinery that hasn't changed much since the 1880s. That's on static open days, Wednesdays and Sundays, April to October, 11am to 3pm, with last entry at 2pm.
The bigger draw is the eight steam events a year, when the original twin beam engines are actually fired up and running rather than sat there looking historic. Adults are £14 online or £14.50 on the door, and there's an underground reservoir tour on those days too, for an extra charge. Every ticket also doubles as a 12-month pass for free return visits to steam events, which softens the price if you fancy going back.
Kids get a wooded play area with a zipline, swings and a trim trail, useful for burning off the bit of the visit that isn't watching Victorian engineering. It suits toddlers up to older kids who'll actually get what they're looking at in the engine house. Dogs are welcome on a short lead everywhere except the café and the reservoir tour.
Food is a kiosk on static days and a proper café at steam events doing pasties, sandwiches and ice cream, with gluten free and vegan options. Parking is free either way, on site for static openings or in the car park opposite the gates for steam events. Card only on static open days, so don't turn up with just cash.
What’s on here
Facilities
Need to know
- Best for
- No set minimum age; older kids get more from the engine house
- Last entry
- 2pm for static openings
- Parking
- Free on site at static openings
- Food
- At steam events: onsite café with hot pasties, freshly made sandwiches, snacks and ice cream
- Wheelchairs
- Majority of site wheelchair accessible
- Dogs
- Welcome on short leads, not in café (except service dogs) or on reservoir tour
- Worth knowing
- All admission tickets include 12-month annual pass for free return visits to steam events
- Every admission ticket doubles as a free 12-month pass back into steam events
- Static open days are card only, no cash
- Disabled parking fills up quickly at steam events and can't be reserved
- Dogs are welcome on a short lead but not in the café or on the reservoir tour
- Steam events run to different themes across the year, from Victorian to steampunk
Plan your visit
How much does it cost?
£4 for the engine and boiler house on static open days, grounds entry is free. Steam events are £14 online for adults, £14.50 on the door, with children, students and seniors at £13.50.
When is it open?
Static open days run Wednesdays and Sundays, April to October, 11am to 3pm, last entry 2pm. Steam events happen eight weekends a year, 10am to 4pm.
Do we need to book?
Steam event tickets can be bought online in advance or on the day at the door, with a discount for booking online. Static open days don't need booking.
Is there parking?
Yes, and it's free. On site through the main gates for static openings, or in the car park opposite the entrance for steam events.
Is it OK for a toddler?
There's no minimum age listed, and the wooded play area with swings and a trim trail gives younger ones something to do between engine watching.
What about food?
A kiosk sells hot and cold drinks and snacks on static open days. At steam events there's a full café with pasties, sandwiches and ice cream, including gluten free and vegan options.
Is it wheelchair accessible?
Most of the site is, but the engine house and reservoir aren't, due to the building's protected historic status. There are disabled toilets and carers get free admission.
Can we bring the dog?
Yes, on a short lead. Dogs can't go in the café or on the reservoir tour.
Can we do a group visit?
Guided tours are available for groups of 15 or more on most days, though not during steam events. You'd need to email ahead to arrange it.
Do you take card or cash?
Static open days are card only, so leave the cash at home.
What's the reservoir tour?
It's an underground tour available only at steam events, for an extra charge on top of admission.
Experiences
A Temple to Water
ages 7-14Award-winning immersive drama-based educational visit for schools (Key Stages 2-3) exploring Victorian water engineering and history.
Cooling Pond
Historic cooling pond used for RC boat sailing and, at the 1940s event, live action skirmish displays.
Experience Steam
Limited special days where visitors can learn to stoke an 1883 Lancashire boiler and run one of the original James Watt beam engines.
Forge & Stables
Resident blacksmith runs the forge during steam events.
Galloway Boiler / Lancashire Boilers
indoorsLancashire boilers fired up during steam events, viewable in the Boiler House.
James Watt Beam Engines
indoorsOriginal twin beam engines built by James Watt & Co, seen in operation during steam events in the Engine House.
Linby Colliery Winding Engine
indoorsHistoric colliery winding engine housed on site, run in steam during steam events and viewable on static open days.
Underground Reservoir Tours
indoorsGuided tours of the Victorian underground reservoir built by Thomas Hawksley in 1879, available on steam days for an additional charge.
Areas to explore
Children's Play Area
outdoorsOutdoor play area for children on site.
Rides
Miniature Steam Railway
thrill 1/5 · outdoorsMiniature steam railway operating on steam event days, additional charge applies.
Featured in 2 Huddlepin lists
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