Norman Dunn's 'Hebburn and our Neighbours Forum'

Norman Dunn's 'Hebburn and our Neighbours Forum'
[ Norman Dunn's 'Hebburn and our Neighbours Forum' ]
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Reservoir

Posted by Colin Thompson on 16/10/2026, 7:03 pm

I just wondered who built the reservoir that was on the corner of mill Lane and Victoria Road and Why.?? Also the building on the corner of Victoria Road west and I believe park or hall Rd currently used by Andrew Craig has 1933 on it with two letters each side RF. And AW - - why??

Re: Reservoir

Posted by Norman on 17/10/2026, 10:44 am, in reply to "Reservoir "

All I know is that in the late 1800s we had a 'Sunderland and South Shields Water Company' office in Argyle St.
They had a few Pumping Stations where fresh water was taken from hundreds of feet below in the limestone.The nearest to us was in the Cleadon Hills.
Ive no idea how water was distributed to Hebburn reservoir & never seen traces of massive pipes.
.

I found how they distributed the water to us

Posted by Norman on 17/10/2026, 11:00 am, in reply to "Re: Reservoir "

The Distribution System

• Elevation Advantage: Cleadon Water Tower and its pumping works were purposely built on the high ground of Cleadon Hills. This provided an ideal natural altitude for water distribution.
• The Pumping Phase: The Victorian steam engines (and later electric pumps) extracted deep water from the magnesian limestone strata. The water was lifted directly into the 2-million-gallon underground reservoir located on the hills.
• Gravity-Fed Mains: Because Hebburn sits at a much lower elevation along the banks of the River Tyne, the Sunderland and South Shields Water Company did not need secondary pumping stations to deliver the water. Instead, the water flowed naturally downhill.
• The Route: A network of underground cast-iron distribution mains was laid running northwest from Cleadon Hills, bypassing Boldon and Jarrow, to supply the expanding industrial populations and shipyards of Hebburn.

Re: I found how they distributed the water to us

Posted by Colin Thompson on 17/10/2026, 11:07 am, in reply to "I found how they distributed the water to us"

Isn't it strange that a huge underground reservoir in cleadon can be lost from memory - - I have walked in those hills and seen nothing but the tower - - somebody will dig a hole in the future and get a surprise!!

Re: Reservoir

Posted by AJG on 18/10/2026, 2:05 am, in reply to "Reservoir "

I can't answer the who and the why of building the reservoir, but there's some information about it on my blog at the link below:

https://thatfoolgilhooley.com/2025/10/09/mill-lane-reservoir-memories/

Re: Reservoir

Posted by Mac Hardy on 18/10/2026, 10:16 am, in reply to "Re: Reservoir "

We used to live at 3 St. Joseph’s Court, our first new house.

Re: Reservoir

Posted by Davy on 20/10/2026, 10:58 am, in reply to "Re: Reservoir "

Used to down in in the reservoir when we were kids about acouple of inches of water in it all the top lined with bricks.

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Rules! No bad language or derogatory remarks or we will delete. Anyone sharing our content on Face Book must credit 'Hebburn and our Neighbours'.