Next month, six of London’s magnificent sewage and water pumping stations will be opened to the public for free tours, and tickets to go to several of them will be released tomorrow (21st August).
There’s also a rare chance to stand on top of a water reservoir with views across south London.
Littleton Pumping Station (c) Thames Water
Very nicely, the tours are spread out over a couple of weeks, so it’s quite possible to visit all of them in turn for a rare glimpse behind the ornate facades at the machines that keep London’s water and sewage flowing beneath our feet.
The tours are being organised by the two open day organisers, Open House London and Heritage Open Days.
In date order…
Nunhead Reservoir
Nunhead, SE15
Friday 8th and Saturday 9th September 2023
They are opening up Nunhead Reservoir for you to come along and enjoy the fabulous views of London and surrounding areas.
Abbey Mills Pumping Station
West Ham, E15
Sat/Sun – 9th, 10th, 16th & 17th September 2023
Entry by ballot – you need to log in to your account/open an account to enter the ballot
Abbey Mills Pumping Station (Pumping Station A), which is now Grade II*, is central to the sewerage system created across London by Joseph Bazalgette in the mid-19th century. Built to lift sewage from the low-lying sewers, it collects a huge amount of the capital’s wastewater, transferring it to our northern outfall sewer and on to Beckton STW. It has a very elaborate design with many interesting features including the recently restored interior paintwork scheme.
King George V Pumping Station
Enfield, EN3
Sunday 10th September 2023
Booking is NOT needed for this one
Designed to pump water from the River Lee into the King George V reservoir, the building houses three old disused gas Humphrey pumps, and two electric pumps currently in service. The buildings in the complex were opened in 1913 and were designed by William Booth Bryan for the Metropolitan Water Board.
The pumps, the invention of H A Humphrey, dispensed with the usual pistons, flywheels etc. and were provided with their momentum by the free movement or oscillation of water between pump and tower. They are the first example of their type in the world. They were used up until the late 1960s when they were replaced by electric pumps.
Details here
Streatham Pumping Station
Lambeth, SW16
Thursday 14 September 2023
In 1894, the Streatham pumping station was built by the Southwark and Vauxhall Water Company. Mr Thompson, the freeholder, made a planning condition that the station should be of an ornamental design; it’s him we have to thank for this stunning building.
Western Pumping Station
Victoria, SW1
Friday 15th September 2023
Western Pumping Station is a key part of London’s wastewater drainage system. It was built over 150 years ago in Pimlico and was part of a radical overhaul of the sewer system by Joseph Bazalgette.
Littleton Pumping Station
Staines, Surrey, TW18
Saturday 16th September 2023
Littleton originally had four steam-powered engines built in 1924 by Worthington-Simpson of Newark-on-Trent. There is one preserved in situ while the others have all been replaced by electric motor to drive the pumps. Littleton was a state of the art plant using a high-efficiency design of steam engine and ran until 1972.
Littleton Pumping Station supplies the adjacent Queen Mary Reservoir with water from the River Thames, near Weybridge.
Walton Water Treatment Works
West Molesey, Surrey, KT12
Sunday 18th September 2023
When construction started, Walton South was the deepest reservoir ever built by the Metropolitan Water Board. Led by chief engineer Henry Cronin, the project cost around £3,050,300 in total (plus £173,000 for the land). Even with the use of innovative building techniques, which needed far fewer labourers than other projects at the time, the reservoir still took five long years to complete – and that was three months ahead of schedule! Queen Elizabeth II finally unveiled it to the public on 30 March 1962.
And regularly open to the public are:
When are the open days for Abbey Mills in 2024?