| Lady St
Mary Church Wareham Dorset |
Close to the River Frome which flows through the southern part of
Wareham is the old 12th century parish church of Lady St Mary
The Victorian wet heating system installed in this church is of a most unusual
shape and design. The Heritage Group had been told that the heating pipework
in the church was of rectangular cross-section and decorated with chevron markings.
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The
Church records state "A new heating system
was installed in 1882. The same central heating
pipes are still in the church and are dated 1880.
The inscription on the end headers of the
box-ended heaters gives the name of the maker.
MERCER
BROS - MAKER - BLACKBURN
In the parish
magazine of November 1888 Reverend Selwyn Blackett
states that the
new system of hot water pipes was the gift of the
Sandford family. This
was the Rodgetts of Sandford House.
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The
two central pew islands in the Nave have a raised
floor approx 100mm higher than
the adjacent aisles,
and it is at this change in height where the
rectangular pipework is located
in a single pipe loop which is in the form of a
ring main routed around the four sides of each pew
island. This rectamgular pipework has no
supports or brackets and
rests directly on the tiled floor. There is no
provision for expansion in any of the
long runs. This arrangement appears to work quite
satisfactorily and there are no signs
of stressing in the socketted joints.
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Centre aisle
Left hand
aisle
Right
hand aisle
What
makes these two main single pipe ring loops so
remarkable is that there is no
obvious flow and return pipe connections. It needed a detailed search to establish
exactly where the two separate ring mains were fed from. It has to be assumed that
an internal blanking plate is fitted in the rectangular pipework between the two pipe
connections that rise from below, to achieve the correct direction of flow.
obvious flow and return pipe connections. It needed a detailed search to establish
exactly where the two separate ring mains were fed from. It has to be assumed that
an internal blanking plate is fitted in the rectangular pipework between the two pipe
connections that rise from below, to achieve the correct direction of flow.
The white circles depict where the flow and
return pipes
connect into the
underside of the square pipes. Each connection is 100mm diameter cast iron.
underside of the square pipes. Each connection is 100mm diameter cast iron.
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At
the tower entrance to the Nave are sited two
large box-ended pipe
coil
heaters, each 5 pipes high by 2 rows deep which
are also decorated with
chevron plus diamond shaped markings.
Both heaters are piped in series with the pipework of the ring main and have a flanged stool piece which connects the pipe directly to the box-end of the header. |
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The circular pipes of the box-ended heaters are inscribed with diamond shaped patterns. |
There are two styles of pipework installed in the church
1) the rectangular decorated pattern and
2) standard 100mm dia cast iron
A standard cast iron double pipework coil is installed along the two outside walls of
the Nave and in all the floor ducts. Also fitted in the Tower entrance area is another
large size box-ended heater 8 pipes high by 2 rows deep, but of plain appearance.
| It
would appear that Mercer Bros of Blackburn the
designers of the heating system chose to install
two styles of pipework. Firstly, where the pipework
is in an exposed visible position, the
highly ornate and decorated square pattern was
installed, and secondly
where the pipework was to be concealed behind pews
or in floor ducts standard 100mm dia socket &
spigott cast iron was installed. |
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November 2006
