The wheel was built in about 1890 for use at Wakefield Lodge, Potterspury for the Duke of Grafton by E & H Roberts of Deanshanger, the well-known ironfounders and agricultural engineers.The firm of E.& H. Roberts produced a prodigious amount of agricultural and domestic items over the years, including waterwheels, windpumps, elevators, carts and wagons. The history of Roberts goes back to 1820 when a foundry was started in the middle of Deanshanger, by the side of the Cosgrove / Buckingham canal. The firm went into liquidation during the depression in 1927.

The waterwheel from Wakefield Lodge was situated between two lakes, and operated by water fed by a cast iron pipe leading to the launder over the wheel, and controlled by a valve. The water flowed over the waterwheel, fell to the bottom of a brick pit and then flowed out through an eight inch (204mm) salt glazed pipe into a ditch that fed the smaller lake.

On either side of the waterwheel, pumps are mounted and driven by crank rods. These pumped water from a nearby well to feed Wakefield Lodge and a complex of smaller houses and buildings with a water supply.

The wheel was recovered by a team from the Society and necessitated much preparatory work in clearing the site. It was then taken to a workshop and placed on a specially made cradle. On assessment it was found to be in very poor condition - most of the plates and paddles were almost rusted away. The long process of restoration involved fabrication of replacement parts and entailed replacement of some of 1,182 rivets!.

The waterwheel is just one example of many recovery projects that Stacey Hill Society has undertaken over the years.

Today the waterwheel can be seen operating at Milton Keynes Museum.

It forms just part of a large collection of items from E & H Roberts of Deanshanger. Items on show cover a broad range made by this manufacturer. Recovery is just one part of the Stacey Hill Society - there are many more aspects from Restoration, Research, Newsletter, Evening Lectures and Outings.