Newcomen and his Invention of the Atmospheric Engine (IA Section)

A talk by Mike Rowley, chairman of the Dartmouth Museum, about Newcomen and his invention of the Atmospheric Engine. Covering also the later development by James Watt of the condensing improvement and the later use of greater steam pressure.

This will be held in the studio room, third floor of the Flavel. A lift is available.

We will then visit the preserved full size engine and go to the Dartmouth Museum close by, which is opening up specially for us to see the collection of working models of Newcomen engines and the other exhibits.

Places are limited so please register with the organiser.

Lunch/coffee available at the Flavel cafe, but please book with the organiser

DA members: £3, non-members: £5.

How to get there:

We have chosen dates outside the main holiday season, so access and parking should not be a problem. 

For those of us who live a distance away, the two alternative routes from Exeter area to Dartmouth/Kingswear are via the Torquay-Paignton ring road to the Higher Ferry, which brings you ashore by the very large Mayors Avenue Car Park and the town information bureau.  The other route, also from Plymouth and North Devon,  is to take the Totnes road for Kingsbridge, and turn off after Halwell for Dartmouth. You will come into Dartmouth beside the Park and Ride, go on down the hill into the town and you will pick up the same road as the ferry landing.

The distance by land is greater than by sea. From Newton Abbot via Totnes A381 it is 22 miles, compared with by Ring Road and ferry 15 miles. The travelling times are about the same. (40–45 min).

At this time of the year, there should be sufficient space in the Mayors Avenue Car Park and you will not need to go  to the Park and Ride (which is go straight ahead from the ferry landing up the hill to the Park and Ride with a shuttle bus to bring you back to the same point beside the harbour and the waterfront gardens).

From the car park/gardens, the Flavel Arts Centre is a modern building straight across from The Quay to the right of the Royal Castle Hotel, partially hidden behind the Victorian chapel, away from the waterside and the harbour.

We have considered the Dartmouth Stream Railway from Paignton with a easy change across the platform from National Rail,  but there is no train back afterwards as we are on the winter timetable.