Gatehouse (waterworks)
Encyclopedia
A gatehouse, gate house, or valve house for a dam
is a structure housing sluice gates, valve
s, or pump
s (in which case it is more accurately called a pumping station
). Many gatehouses are strictly utilitarian, but especially in the nineteenth century, some were very elaborate.
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
is a structure housing sluice gates, valve
Valve
A valve is a device that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically pipe fittings, but are usually discussed as a separate category...
s, or pump
Pump
A pump is a device used to move fluids, such as liquids, gases or slurries.A pump displaces a volume by physical or mechanical action. Pumps fall into three major groups: direct lift, displacement, and gravity pumps...
s (in which case it is more accurately called a pumping station
Pumping station
Pumping stations are facilities including pumps and equipment for pumping fluids from one place to another. They are used for a variety of infrastructure systems, such as the supply of water to canals, the drainage of low-lying land, and the removal of sewage to processing sites.A pumping station...
). Many gatehouses are strictly utilitarian, but especially in the nineteenth century, some were very elaborate.