The pumping station was built by John Rennie between 1809 and 1813 to overcome water supply problems on the canal. It uses a wide wooden breastshot water wheel to drive two Boulton and Watt long cast iron rocking beams, which power lift pumps to raise water up to the canal. The pumping station has undergone several modifications since its initial construction, including revising the wheel into two sections each wide separated by a gap. The station's operational life ended in 1952, by which time its maintenance and repair had become uneconomical in the light of falling traffic on the canal.