At the footing of the Boothferry Bridge, Goole, there is a derelict building long since abandoned and in process of dereliction. The building is constructed on a rectangular plan over one storey, with a single room. The main walls are constricted on a plinth of four brick courses. The building is constructed in facing brick with a concrete render.
Many people question when it is from or what it was used for. There are two possible answers to what the building was used for. The first is indicated by a documentary evidence which suggests that an Ambulance was located at the foot of the building on the Airmyn side of the Bridge. It has also been suggested that the building was probably part of the bridge works.
The answer may lie in the Goole Times. On 5th October 1932 a picture was printed of the "Boothferry Ambulance Hut". The accompanying article states that the Airmyn Road [ambulance] Hut has been removed to the East Riding approach to Boothferry Bridge. The hut was to be taken over by the Goole St John Brigade, who would control and man it. Unfortunately the quality of the Microfilm is poor and the picture is too dark to feature on the blog but the picture is that of a similar type hut.
It has alternatively been suggested that the building may have been the original pumping house for the bridge. The fact that the building is located from the road by a stairwell and that there is no road access would suggest that it was not intended for a vehicle to reach the building.
The interior structure of the building gives some ideas as to what it was used for. The floor is constructed over a sunken chamber. Within the chamber are possible mechnical remains, possible part of a pumping system.
The style and materials of the building would suggest a date of the early part of the 20th Century and the structure would likely suggest that the building is part of the mechanism of Boothferry Bridge. Unfortunately the building remains neglected and little is know about it's origins.
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