23/06/2026
For , we're sharing this portrait from the National Portrait Gallery of Nottingham local legend Thomas Hawksley (1807-1893), one of the greatest water engineers of the 19th century.
In his 20s, Hawksley was hired by the Trent Waterworks Company to design a new water system for Nottingham, and he created something that had never been done before: a constant pressure water supply. This meant that at any time of the day, Nottingham residents could turn on their taps and clean water would come out.
This was an amazing innovation at the time, but is now something we take completely for granted. After his early success in Nottingham, Hawksley went on to design over 150 water supply systems across the country and the world, having a huge impact on the field of water engineering and a legacy that ought to be more well known.
This portrait by Hubert von Herkomer was commissioned by a group of Hawksley’s friends, and given to him as a present for his 80th birthday in 1887. It was bequeathed to the National Portrait Gallery in 1974 by Hawksley’s son Charles.
We talk about Thomas Hawksley in more detail in Trentbelly episode 5 ‘Turning on the Tap’, which you can find wherever you get your podcasts.
Thomas Hawskley Portrait © National Portrait Gallery London CC BY-NC-ND 3.0
