Guess the Place

[Lutonman]

Looks like Chattenden?

[John Walker]

Thousands of barrels of gunpowder were stored here.  Close by is a Northern Ireland and an Afganistan connection.

[John Walker]

Amazing history, right up to fairly recent times.

[John Walker]

Some where on the Hoo Peninsular ?

Yes Grandarog 

[grandarog]

Some where on the Hoo Peninsular ?

[John Walker]

Some sort of explosives factory or storage?

Certainly explosives storage.  I can't find any mention of manufacture.  The area has quite a history dating back to the 1800s.  Sold for redevelopment now.

[MartinR]

Some sort of explosives factory or storage?

[John Walker]

Easy to see on Google

[John Walker]

Right - time for the next one ...


This might be instantly recognisable to some of you.




What and Where?

[stuartwaters]

I believe the Archemedes Screws are a holdover from when the site was a sewage works. They may be redundant now. Some small sewage works have been converted into large pumping stations. Two others which spring to mind are The Strand in Gillingham and Hoo. The Strand, Gillingham now pumps to Motney Hill and Hoo pumps to Whitewall Creek.

[John Walker]

I see it now.  there appears to be a row of enormous 'archimedes' screws going deep into an underground chamber.  I presume they were the lift pumps?  The tank is under the building you mentioned then?


All quite fascinating to me. 

[stuartwaters]

Very interesting information StuartWaters.  I can't see where the 'Wet Well' is at the Allington Lock area.  Is it underground?  I'm guessing it must be enormous?

On Google Earth:



From the tanks, follow the river towards Maidstone and just before you get to Ford's Wharf, there's a cross-shaped building, similar to a church when viewed from the air. That and the group of buildings adjacent to it comprise the Pumping Station. How much of that complex is still actually in use, I can't say. Southern Water have a habit of decommissioning plant but leaving it in place until its either in the way of something new or becomes dangerously derelict and needs demolition for safety reasons.


Considering that Central Maidstone, Allington and the surrounding area flows into it, I would say yes, it is quite large....

[John Walker]

Very interesting information StuartWaters.  I can't see where the 'Wet Well' is at the Allington Lock area.  Is it underground?  I'm guessing it must be enormous?

[johnfilmer]

So much for my logic!


Well done JW

[stuartwaters]

The honours go to you JW. They are storm holding tanks for the large sewage pumping station a little further up the road.


Maidstone and the surrounding area has a Combined Sewer system. This means that the sewers take the rain water as well as the foul stuff. In conditions of heavy rain, the pumping stations and sewage works are unable to cope with the sheer volume of water trying to get through the system. The wet well at Allington Water Pump Station spills over into those tanks and when conditions calm down, the water is drained back into the wet well, from where its pumped to Aylesford Sewage Works (which doesn't have storm tanks).


Pretty much all the sewage from Maidstone and the surrounding area goes through Allington, so it's a substantial pumping station.


Motney Hill and most of the others I listed earlier have storm tanks on site.


If those tanks are unable to cope (ie if they fill up) they spill through a screen into the Medway, upstream from Allington Locks (hence non-tidal).


Over to you JW.