The hydraulic ram was located on a spring that emerged from a limestone cave. It used to sit there amongst the water cress 'thumping' year after year pumping water to the house that was at the top of quite a high hill nearby. I could never understand how the thing worked all by itself without any apparent source of power. I can't remember it in detail but do recall the large air chamber and of course lots of rust. I still haven't seen a drawing of one, having guessed this one from descriptions I've read. Well, many years after the house disappeared it continued to work pumping water to a toilet block located near the Rocks themselves. Perhaps it is still there, I haven't looked recently.

Water flows down the inlet causing valve V1 to close suddenly. The water hammer effect results in a pressure wave that results in V2 opening so that some water enters the air chamber and rises up the outlet pipe. The pressure falls in the inlet pipe, compressed air closes V2 and V1 opens to start the cycle again. About 15% of the water in the inlet pipe can be raised to a height of five times the fall in the inlet pipe. The remainder of the water is discharged via the overflow.

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