Selly Oak Pumping Station, Gothic-style electrical substation in Selly Oak, Birmingham, England
Selly Oak Pumping Station is a red brick structure featuring tall windows and ornate stone details inspired by French Gothic chapel design. The rounded apses and intricate exterior give the building a distinctive appearance that stands out from typical industrial structures.
The station opened in 1878 for Birmingham Corporation Waterworks and originally contained a Boulton and Watt steam engine to pump water from an underground borehole. When the Elan aqueduct opened, demand for local water supply fell and the building was converted to serve electrical distribution instead.
The structure was designed by architects who treated municipal infrastructure as a serious architectural statement. This approach reveals how Birmingham valued the buildings that served its public.
The building now serves as an electrical substation managed by Western Power Distribution and is not open to the public. You can view the exterior architecture from the street, which provides a good sense of its design and craftsmanship.
The structure was designed by Martin & Chamberlain in the style of a French Gothic chapel, even though its purpose was to pump water. This unusual choice shows how industrial buildings were crafted with artistic care rather than built purely for function.
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