South Tyneside History
| Title | Cleadon Chimney and Windmill |
|---|---|
| Reference Number | STH0006608 |
| Photographer | Bardwell Keith |
| Town or Village | Cleadon Village |
| Date | Circa 1983 |
| Original Format | Colour photograph |
| Period | The 1980s |
| Copyright | South Tyneside Libraries |
| Further Information | The water works were built for the Sunderland and South Shields Water Company to a design by Thomas Hawksley and opened in 1863. The facility was typical of the grand Victorian waterworks style of the day, and resembles its sister station at Ryhope which was built a few years later. It was one of a chain of wells that stretched from Cleadon in the north to Hesledon in the south, which were constructed to exploit the reserves of clean fresh water that lay trapped in the permeable limestone. Little is known about the engine that drove the pumps, it was described as a 'high class' beam engine of 130 hp, driving a pump that drew water from a well 258 feet deep and 12 feet in diameter, the water standing 18 feet deep at the bottom. The works were electrified in 1930 and the steam plant removed. The chimney itself is 100 feet tall and the balcony is 82 feet above ground level, a square spiral staircase of 141 steps winds around the central flue. It was designed to resemble the well known Italian campanile bell towers, and was placed above the works on the highest part of the hill to facilitate boiler draughting and the dispersal of smoke and steam. While the other buildings have since been converted into homes, the chimney has been threatened with demolition at least once, notwithstanding the fact that it now houses a number of radio aerials, and presumably generates revenue in the form of rent. The ruined windmill on the hills was constructed in the 1820s. The mill is built on the highest part of Cleadon Hills on a slight artificial mound. The building incorporates a stone reefing stage a feature that was peculiar to windmills in the area. The mill was severely damaged in a storm at some time during the 1870s, and then suffered the indignity of being a target for gunnery practice during the First World War. |
