Cobb’s Engine House & Chimney
Cobb’s Engine House and Chimney, also known as Windmill End Pumping Station, is a surviving 19th-century engine house in the Black Country. The structure housed a stationary Boulton & Watt steam engine that pumped water from nearby mines for 97 years. Cobb’s Engine House is the earliest surviving example of its type in the region. The building is located within the Bumble Hole and Warren Hall Local Nature Reserves, an area known for open greenery and scenic canal-side views.
Key info
| Location | Warrens Hall Local Nature Reserve, Rowley Regis, B65 8NN |
| County | West Midlands |
| Completed | c. 1831 |
| Erected by | Sir Horace St Paul |
| Protection status | Scheduled Monument Listed Building Grade II |
Visiting guide
Open 24 / 7
Free entry
Free car park
What can I expect when visiting Cobb’s Engine House?
The visiting guide begins at the car park next to the Bumble Hole and Warrens Hall Local Nature Reserve Visitor Centre. The path from the car park leads up a short flight of steps to the canal edge. Walking north along the canal reveals the tall brick chimney of Cobb’s Engine House in the distance.
The green space around the engine house provides open access for visitors. The interior of the structure is accessible and allows close inspection of the surviving brickwork. A lightning conductor runs down the full height of the chimney and remains visible from the ground.
A footpath behind the engine house leads uphill to a bench. Turning around at the bench provides the best panoramic view of Cobb’s Engine House and the southern Black Country landscape. The Clent Hills are visible on the horizon in clear conditions.
Visitors may continue their walk into the wider Bumble Hole and Warrens Hall Local Nature Reserves. The Netherton Tunnel is located next to the engine house and is a notable industrial attraction. A nearby bridge, formerly used by a tramway serving the mine, offers an excellent vantage point for photographing both the engine house and the tunnel.
The Black Country Boating Festival takes place every September at Windmill End Junction. The festival features historic narrowboats, market stalls, a real ale bar, and live music. Visitors may wish to time their visit to coincide with this event.
How long does it take to see Cobb’s Engine House?
A standard visit takes approximately 20 minutes. This duration includes exploring the structure and walking up the hill behind it for elevated views. Visitors can extend their visit by exploring the Bumble Hole and Warrens Hall Locale Nature Reserves.
Is Cobb’s Engine House suitable for a picnic?
Cobb’s Engine House stands within the Bumble Hole and Warrens Hall Local Nature Reserves, which provide suitable green areas for picnics. Higher ground on the hill offers better views but may be less comfortable in windy weather. Visitors should take all litter home to protect the landscape.
How do I get to Cobb’s Engine House?
Cobb’s Engine House is located in a suburban part of the Black Country. There are no railway stations within close walking distance, so travel by car or taxi is recommended. Bus services from Dudley stop along St Peter’s Road, which is the nearest public transport option.
History of Cobb’s Engine House
1798 – The Dudley Canal Line No. 2 is completed. It runs past the collieries in Netherton before connecting with the Worcester & Birmingham Canal at Selly Oak, Birmingham [1].
1830 – Windmill End Colliery No.3 pit is sunk most likely by the Earl of Dudley’s Mining Department next to the Dudley Canal Line No.2 near Netherton [2].
1831 – Due to water flooding the pit, an engine house was erected to house a Watt-type pumping steam engine, which pumped an average of 1.67 million litres (367,500 gallons) per day into the canal from a shaft measuring 525 ft deep [3]. The mine owners were paid at a rate of 4d (pre-decimal pennies) per lock-full by the canal company [2]. Some unverified sources report the engine house was named after Cobb, a farmer who worked the land before the mine pit was sunk.
1860s – The steam engine was re-cylindered and converted into the Cornish cycle. It worked during the 1870s for the Oldhill Mines Drainage Company [2]. It is thought to have delivered about 20 horsepower at a speed of 30 rpm [4].
1925 – The engine house and plant are closed after a lengthy series of miners strikes that culminated in the General Strike of 1926 [5].
1928 – The Newcomen winding engine, which was located next to Cobb’s Engine House was brought by Henry Ford, then dismantled and shipped to the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan where it stands to this day.
1969 – A photo is taken, which details the continuing decay of the engine house.
1972 – The engine house and chimney is listed as a Grade II structure [6].
1980s – The engine house and chimney are restored after fifty years of decay [2]. The structure is left roofless.
Architecture and dimensions
The original engine house comprised three storeys: a cylinder floor at ground level, a chamber floor above, and a bob or beam loft at the top. The south gable wall is built thicker than the other walls. This wall contains a ground-floor plug-rod portal with a flat head and a bob-portal with a round arch beneath the roof apex.
The east and west walls each contain a ground-floor window. Both windows have segmental heads typical of industrial architecture of the period. The north gable wall contains a ground-floor cylinder portal. Above this portal is an opening into the middle storey with a round head, and two smaller openings positioned higher up the wall.
The boiler chimney tapers from 11′ 6″ square at the base to 4 feet at the top. The chimney stands 95 feet tall. The building originally contained a single-acting condensing engine [6].
Sources
- Hadfield, C. (1985) The Canals of the West Midlands. Newton Abbot: David & Charles (Publishers) Limited.
- Chapman, N. (2011) South Staffordshire Coalfield. Stroud: Amberley Publishing.
- Dudley Council (2021) Bumble Hole and Warrens Hall Local Nature Reserves. Available at: https://www.dudley.gov.uk/things-to-do/nature-reserves/bumble-hole-and-warrens-hall-local-nature-reserves/ (Accessed: 28 February 2021).
- Nance, D. (1996) Beam Engines of The Henry Ford Collection. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/291166836_Beam_engines_of_the_Henry_Ford_Collection (Accessed: 28 February 2021).
- Collins, P. (2011) Black Country Canals. Stroud: The History Press.
- Historic England (2021) Cobbs Engine House and Chimney Warrens Hall Park. Available at: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1229552 (Accessed: 28 February 2021).
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