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Arthur Collins the man who improved Norwich’s sewage system
A man of great energy and ability we should remember. We have a lot to thank him for.
Last year I published rare pictures of New Mills taken in 1897 and 1898 at the time the handsome new engine house was built, the one which remains there today.
The photographs came from the Mike Adcock Collection, now in the care of the Norwich Heritage Projects run by Frances and Michael Holmes.
The compressor station, built to replace the old corn mill, was a key part of the city’s new sewage system, badly-needed at the time to bring Norwich into the 20th century and greatly improve the health of its residents.
I told how that in March of 1898 the mayor, town clerk and members of the sewage committee had bravely descended through a manhole on the corner of Barn Road and Westwick Street to inspect the works under construction, under the supervision of the City Engineer, Arthur Collins.
Geologist, historian and author Matthew Williams, tells me that later in the same year, Mr Collins proudly invited all his fellow municipal engineers and surveyors to a meeting of their professional association in Norwich.
It was an opportunity for him to show off the new compressor station and associated sewers, as well as other projects of his, including the new public wash-baths at Duke Street and his patented street-gully cleaning equipment.
All the delegates gathered in a marquee at New Mills on Friday June 10, 1898, and a toast to raise to Mr Collins, so perhaps we should do the same on the anniversary of that grand meeting.
Above the roar of the water passing through the turbines, speeches were made praising both the designers and the contractors who had overcome the special challenges presented by Norwich’s difficult geology.
“A ripple of laughter was the response to the suggestion that the city was known as a ‘happy hunting ground’ for the nation’s civil engineers, since so many had been coming here over the previous quarter of a century to try and solve the serious defects experienced with the city’s first sewage system completed in 1871 and which had now finally been overcome with the new air compassion system, “ said Matthew.
The delegates were then led to an adjacent site (now park of the Westwick Street car park) where he was proud to show them another of his inventions – a “refuse destructor” which was intended not only to get rid of rubbish but also to fuel a furnace to generate power to run the air compressors when there was insufficient flow in the Wensum.
Later he showed his honoured guests another useful invention off his drawing board – Collin’s patented Street Gully and Scavenging Attachment – just the thing for keeping the Norwich streets clean and tidy!
As for the New Mills site, it has been there since 1430, but has been taking a well-earned break since the 1970s when the air compassion system became redundant.
Matthew tells me some timely repairs have recently been made to the roof of Mr Collin’s engine house, although the bridge is waiting some more serious work.
Our city has a good track record of re-purposing interesting heritage buildings and we must all hope that before too long a way can be found to bring the power of the river back into good use.
Coming up… on June 27 it will be 100 years since the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VIII, opened Carrow Bridge, which was also designed by Arthur. Will it ever rise again? Time will tell.
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