The Park's Pools

Powells Pool

Powell's Pool is approximately 28 acres and is the largest pool in Sutton Park. Originally built to power an 18th century watermill, it is located at the Boldmere Entrance to the park. At different times, the mill was used to provide power for a number of different industrial processes, including rolling steel for pens. POWELLS POOL PAVILION Originally a tea room which was run by Sutton Coldfield Borough Council it was offered to a local businessman for a peppercorn rent. It opened as a theatre restaurant in the 60s and was very successful being the only venue of its type in the midlands. Its believed the proprieter was called Marchel Dente, the restaurant was called LA RESERVE   December 28th 2014 Clear blue sky, very cold and crisp  Dredging Powell's Pool In the 1950s a pair of ploughing engines, similar to the one imaged below, were employed to dredge Powell's pool. The photo shows one of the traction engines (note the winding drum underneath) usually these engines pulled a plough back and forth to plough a field on this occasion a dredging bucket was attached to the cable between the two engines. The engines stood one at the water’s edge on the golf course side and one set well back on the park side. The scoop side of the dredging bucket faced the park side, the two engines then worked in tandem pulling the slurry out of the pool onto the grassed area. Item and image: David Wilcox

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