Lovely place to walk around with a nice big pond and a fountain in the centre. The buildings are very well cared for with some looking almost brand new. I went for the steampunk event which seems to be held yearly and was amazing to see and well organised.

A very interesting place to visit, not a huge site but plenty to see in the pumping house itself which is steeped in history. There is a snack shop for coffee and nibbles but plenty of picnicking around the site if you bring your own food. There are video presentations which are very informative around the pump house and I would recommend watching them. Worth a short trip out and if you look on their website they have events planned throughout the year. Highly recommend.

What a fantastic day out, went when the Artisan Fair was on but mainly to see the engine under steam. Fair bit to see from the engine working which you can climb to the top of, the boiler house, the winding gear, model engines and model boats on the lake. If you want some thing extra, go early and book on the reservoir tour which takes you to the old brick cathedral like building. Plenty of places to get something to eat or drink. Miniature railway and playground for kids. Guide books available or the voulenteers are happy to talk about it with you. Plenty of parking and tickets last a whole year

We visited Papplewick Pumping Station as a family and had a really brilliant day out. It’s one of those places that’s far more interesting than you might expect and there was something for everyone to enjoy. The site itself is beautiful, with impressive Victorian buildings and well‑kept grounds that are great to wander around. Inside, the pumping station is fascinating, even if you’re not usually into engineering, the sheer scale of the machinery and the detail in the design really grabs your attention. Everything is well laid out and easy to follow, which made it enjoyable for both adults and children alike. What really stood out was how welcoming and knowledgeable the volunteers were. They were happy to answer questions and explain how everything works, which made the visit even more interesting and brought the history of the place to life. It’s a relaxed, educational day out that doesn’t feel rushed, and it’s ideal for families looking for something a bit different. We all came away having learned something new and feeling like we’d had a genuinely good day together. We’d definitely recommend Papplewick Pumping Station and would happily visit again.

Stopped here on the way back home on the off chance, and it turned out to be an event weekend so everything was running. No need to pre-book, we just paid on the door. You do have to buy an annual ticket, but that felt fair as they run a lot of events and the money clearly goes towards maintaining the site, which can’t be cheap given the amount of working machinery. We spent a good few hours here. The main pumping room is nothing short of fantastic. What we used to build compared to today is incredible, the skill and sheer power on display really stand out. The building itself is an absolute work of art. The Victorians really knew what they were doing. The boilers are equally impressive, and being able to get so close to everything is quite rare these days. I imagine it’s only a matter of time before more restrictions come in. A really impressive place from an engineering point of view. It would probably be a bit quieter on a non-running day, so it’s worth planning your visit around an event.