Thomas Newcomen Engine

Thomas Newcomen (1664-1729) designed and installed the first practical and successful steam engine, used initially for pumping water out of coal mines. Over 2,000 Newcomen engines were installed world-wide during the 18th and 19th centuries, over 600 of them before 1775 when James Watt was able to improve their efficiency. The Newcomen engine was a giant step forward in the history of engineering, and led in due course to the Industrial Revolution.

The Newcomen Engine House, beside the Tourist Information Centre in Dartmouth, houses an original early Newcomen engine dating from about 1725. It can be seen operating during opening hours of the T.I.C., using a hydraulic mechanism added for demonstration purposes.

This engine was first installed at the Griff Colliery near Coventry, and later moved to Oakthorpe Colliery, Measham, and to Hawkesbury Junction where it was used by the Coventry Canal Company from 1821-1913. It was finally moved to Dartmouth in 1963 by the Newcomen Society for demonstration in Newcomen’s home town.

The 22-inch diameter cylinder and wooden arched beam are believed to be original, with valve gear and a separate ‘pickle-pot’ condenser added about 1820.