St Mary the Virgin
Portbury  Nr Bristol





 
 
The church had a Victorian restoration carried out in 1896 when it must be considered that the wet heating system was installed.
The system remains to this day being a single one pipe cast iron circuit with three horizontal tube CI box ended pipe coil heaters.
The Parish Church of Portbury dates from the early 12th century and is remarkable for the number of elderly Yew trees in the
surrounding graveyard.  The oldest yew is reputed to be 900 years old.
 
 
 
 







At the point where the heating pipes enter the church at floor level from the adjacent external basement boiler room, a cast iron header block  is fitted which allowed the pipes rising from the boiler room to change size and  direction and split into two circuits all in the one fitting.   This type of casting is similar to the ones found in the heating systems of other local churches. The other systems were installed by  Vincent Skinner of Stokes Croft Bristol and probably made in his iron foundry.

 
 
 

The original boiler (now replaced by a newer type oil fired pattern) has been disconnected and left in the boiler room.
The Heritage Group has so far been unable to find the manufacturer's name for this type of boiler.
Should anyone know the name of the manufacturer, the Heritage Group we would be pleased to hear from you as it will
then add to our pool of archival knowledge about Victorian heating equipment.

SEPTEMBER 2002