Thanks to generous funding from the HLF, BCCF Environmental and the Fallago Environment Fund, work has now started on the restoration of the Blackadder waterwheel and pump on the site of the Paxton House waterworks – one of the oldest pumped domestic water supplies in Scotland.

JPS Restoration Services submitted the winning tender for the restoration and recommissioning of the historic machinery, and the wheel and pump have now been taken to their workshop on Alloa.

We have been busy on site at Paxton too. First, water from the burn was briefly diverted through the 200 metre long “penstock” pipe to the site of the waterwheel for the first time in over a hundred years. The good news is that the water flowed freely without any obstruction – we even floated a toy duck for a test voyage, and happily it emerged safely at the old waterworks.

Also, visitors will notice that we have reinstated to old access path to the waterworks site through the woodland in Paxton Dene – it can be seen upstream from the bridge on the Paxton House driveway. But please don’t walk to the site yet – it’s a construction site and not yet safe for public access. Restoration of the path has taken 160 tonnes of type 1 gravel, several new surface water drains and a lot of hard work by volunteers including Willie Gray and Ray Guest.

Soon our building contractor, Steve Richards, will start the task of fixing the old stone walls on site and preparing foundations for the waterwheel. It’s going to be a busy summer in Paxton Dene.

Have a look at the fantastic work done to put the new track in to the water wheel site.