INTRODUCTION.
BACKGROUND
The Pump-house is situated within a small garden at St Brides Haven, close to St Brides Church and Cranford the former Rectory, and was built to provide St Brides Castle with fresh water. It is now owned by Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority but Friends of Pembrokeshire National Park were interested in restoring the building and bringing the machinery into full working order. Bob Powell (founder member of the Friends with the late Claude Parry) had a vision of the Pump-house, restored to its former glory, with the oil engine and water pump working on demonstration days. The larger room, which used to house the main pump, would have a sequence of illustrated display panels with the history of the Kensington Estate and general information on the National Park. There would be fixed seating to provide a wet weather refuge for rest and refreshment. His enthusiasm for the Project was so infectious that he quickly gathered around him a team of Friends who were inspired by his views. Early in the year 2000 Bob announced that the Project had been agreed with the National Park Officer and the required approvals and
finance had been received via the Land-fill Tax Credit Scheme, thanks to the Texaco Oil Refining Company and the Government's Regulator (ENTRUST).
Thus it was that the first work-party of Friends and Staff of the National Park assembled on March 7th 2000 and enjoyed some hours of very hard work, cutting back foliage and overhanging branches before clearing the interior of the Pump-house. It was then that the Reservoir of clear water was revealed through a small door at floor level, to the amazement of the workers on that first day at St Brides, and was photographed in detail by Dr Phil Robinson. After this the work-party met every other Tuesday, then every Tuesday, for the next year and this involved many skills -carpentry, decorating, engineering, electrical engineering, gardening, historical research, artwork, labouring and tea-making. The workers were Bob Powell, Brian Meopham, Doug Voss, Arthur Bebbington, Graham Morgan, Roy Rothwell, Derek Rowland, John Ratcliffe, Myles Huthwaite, Colin Thomas and Lionel White. In October 2000 Bob became seriously ill and Brian Meopham took over as 'Clerk of Works'.