The Queen visits Wolferton Pumping Station in Sandringham
Published
The Queen today opened Wolferton’s new Pumping Station, 72 years after Her Majesty’s Father, King George VI, opened the original station on 2nd February 1948.
Wolferton Pumping Station allows the surrounding 7,000 acres of marshland, which sits below sea level, to be drained, dried out and farmed.
The Station sits within the Sandringham Estate, on land designated by King George VI who took a personal interest in the scheme.
Wolferton Pumping Station was opened shortly after the Second World War to enable the surrounding marshland to be brought into full production. Today, the land at Wolferton is some of the most productive on the Estate, and produces organic crops including wheat, barley, oats and beans.
Over the past 18 months, Wolferton Pumping Station has been rebuilt to create a cleaner, more efficient and environmentally friendly Station which best protects its local wildlife, including nesting birds on the neighbouring marshes.
Today, Her Majesty toured the new station and met a group of long serving staff, all of whom have worked at Wolferton for over 20 years.
There are three pumps at Wolferton, each capable of pumping 1,600 litres of water per second or 96,000 litres per minute.
The Queen then unveiled a plaque to commemorate her visit to the place which staff say has been 'keeping Norfolk's feet dry' for over 70 years.
Before leaving, Her Majesty viewed her Father's plaque from 1948 and signed the visitor's book.
