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Enfield Lock, ENFIELD, EN3 6JH

The UK's only Humphrey pump installation. This was opened in 1913 but has long relied on electric pumps. The structure in front with Portland stone doric columns houses the open topped surge vessels. These were an integral part of the system as it relied on an oscillating body of water to act as the piston in an internal combustion engine.

Originally contained five Humphrey pumps working on producer gas. Now disused with three in situ.

Originally contained five Humphrey pumps working on producer gas. Now disused with three in situ and the others replaced with working electric pumps. The site was open for Heritage Open Days. The Humphrey pump was a four cycle gas engine with spark ignition and used the oscillating water column as a piston. There are surviving examples in Australia too. This is the smaller of the three survivors.

Grade II listed - description at this https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1079456.

Originally contained five Humphrey pumps working on producer gas. Now disused with three in situ. The site was open for Heritage Open Days. The Humphrey pump was a four cycle gas engine with spark ignition and used the oscillating water column as a piston. There are surviving examples in Australia too. This view shows a motor driven Belliss and Morcom air compressor that was used to start the pumps by pressing down on the water to start the oscillating cycle. I had forgotten this was here.

Originally contained five Humphrey pumps working on producer gas. Now disused with three in situ. The site was open for Heritage Open Days. The Humphrey pump was a four cycle gas engine with spark ignition and used the oscillating water column as a piston. There are surviving examples in Australia too.

Originally contained five Humphrey pumps working on producer gas. Now disused with three in situ. The site was open for Heritage Open Days. The Humphrey pump was a four cycle gas engine with spark ignition and used the oscillating water column as a piston. There are surviving examples in Australia too. This view is of the working electric pumps that replaced two of the Humphrey pumps.

The only other examples are at Cobdogla in Australia and at least one is workable. These are large producer gas driven engines with the water acting as a piston. Amazingly enough these beasts actually worked.

The original River Lea flowed 70 miles from Leagrove Marsh near Luton to the River Thames at Bow Creek. The River Lee Act of 1766 provided for the construction of 15 new cuts to straighten the course of the river by eliminating loops which made it difficult to navigate. The River Lee Navigation just west of here is one of those cuts and hence it is a navigation rather than a river. This though is the River Lea which unlike the Lee Navigation is not accessible here. Historically the river is spelled Lea while the navigation is Lee. Just ahead on the left, part of the River Lea flows into the huge King George's Reservoir - see http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5357435

The reservoir covers 420 acres and is the largest in London. it was originally filled by five Humphrey pumps (q.v.). These are the discharge pipes from the pumps.