Historic Hampshire waterworks marks 125 years of history

Twyford Waterworks, near Winchester, was established in 1900, during the reign of Queen Victoria.

The facility, which has evolved over the years, recently underwent a £2.3 million upgrade to improve resilience and water security for the next 25 years.

The site continues to supply water to approximately five million households.

Twyford's steam heritage draws crowds on special open day (Image: Southern Water) The original pumping station is a scheduled ancient monument, which has been restored and is managed by the Twyford Waterworks Trust.

To mark its 125th anniversary, the trust held an open day on June 1, allowing visitors to explore the site and see the machinery in action.

Alex Willumsen, Southern Water’s community partnerships and programme manager, said: "Twyford Waterworks is a brilliant example of our local history and the teamwork that keeps water flowing today.

"Visiting is a great way to connect with our heritage, support the volunteers, and enjoy a day out with family or friends."

Twyford Waterworks stands tall after 125 years of continuous service (Image: Southern Water) The trust plans to hold open days on the first Sunday of each month until October.

Visitors can learn about the history of drinking water, join guided tours, and follow the children’s Twyford Toad Trail.

Trust chairman Graham Feldwick said: "Twyford Waterworks is a unique site where the complete history of water pumping can be seen and enjoyed on our open days.

"It is also an important haven for wildlife.

"It’s great that our trust and Southern Water are celebrating 125 years together."

The recent upgrade, undertaken by Southampton-based contractor Trant Engineering, included the installation of new equipment such as pumps, pipework, water quality monitoring, and electrical equipment, with the aim to ensure a consistent water supply.

Mike Daly, Trant’s project engineer, said: "The site posed several unique challenges, one of which was to install a temporary, 36m-long, 5-ton pipe bridge to allow access for the trust, including movement of steam traction engines as well as horses along the adjacent bridleway, and to ensure continued water supply to the reservoir."

The waterworks began operation in 1900, extracting drinking water from underground boreholes, softening it via lime kilns, and pumping it by steam engine to homes around Southampton.