The Newcomen Engine

The Dartmouth Newcomen Engine was built in 1712 and was first used to pump out the Griff Colliery in Staffordshire.

Dartmouth-born engineer Thomas Newcomen (1664-1729) designed and installed the first practical and successful steam engine, used initially for pumping water out of coal mines. More than 2,000 Newcomen Engines were installed world-wide during the 18th and 19th centuries, more than 600 of them before 1775 when James Watt was able to improve their efficiency.