But when Crossness was decommissioned, the engines were left to rust – too massive to be worth disassembling. Most modern technology is as small as possible – useful, but there’s something incredibly visceral about seeing all the moving parts. These wheels were so masisve that when they were built, they had to be cast in eight separate pieces, and joined together on site. As you explore the dimly lit back streets of Whitechapel, images of Victorian London are projected onto buildings to guarantee a highly atmospheric experience. Lots of information about London’s sewer system, their construction, and what’s happening with London’s sewage today. When it’s sufficiently far east, the sewage is pumped back up to ground level, dumped in the Thames and washed out to sea. Architectural Buildings, Historic Sites, Gardens, Things to do near The Crossness Pumping Station. Be the first to receive the latest London events and deals information: We will never give your email address away. , Underground lines: DLR (Lewisham Branch), 6.7 miles
Recommended experiences in and around London. I wouldn’t have thought a sewerage plant would be a place for a visit but this place is special because it’s the world first urban sewerage plant. It turns out that Crossness is a bit of a trek from a Cambridge – over three hours! The Crossness Pumping Station: Well worth the effort of getting there - See 84 traveller reviews, 107 candid photos, and great deals for London, UK, at Tripadvisor. from Crossness Pumping Station, Woolwich New Road, London, Greenwich, SE18 6EU, Greenwich High Road, London, Greenwich, SE10 9SW, 6.47 miles Search above or pick from our top trending places, New Cross Tube Station (East London line closed. The endpoint of the southern tunnel was at Crossness. There are three cylinders: high, medium and low pressure, with exhaust steam from each flowing from each. From cheap budget places to stay to luxury 5 star hotels see our special offers for Crossness Pumping Station hotels, including Holiday Inn Express London Ealing from 54% off. As I approached Crossness itself, my first sight wasn’t something I’d typically associate with “Victorian pumping station”. On Sunday 20th October,there was an Open Day to visit the Grade 1 listed building,that changed the way we think of Sewage, and how we get rid of it. Based alongside the River Thames this Cathedral of Pistons, Wheels, powered by stream,and under the most spectacular Victorian, Visited as part of a group on an eductional tour on day not open to public. Pumping London’s sewage to ground level required a huge amount of power. We were amazed by the pumping machinery and the information about the site. Out of shot to the right was the village green around which the workers’ houses were built. Here’s a picture of the cylinders joining the main rocking beam: The left-hand rocking beam was another late addition, added to upgrade the pumping capacity. Today, volunteers for the Engine Trust have restored the Prince Consort to working condition. Other places of interest include the David Evans Silk Centre & Museum which outlines the history of silk and provides demonstrations of hand-silk printing. TripAdvisor Traveller Rating Based on 84 reviews Grade 1 Listed, 1865 waste-water pumping station containing the 4 largest rotative beam engines in the world and outstanding Victorian ironwork. Although it’s had to expand to cope with London’s ever-increasing population, the original system was very robust. At this time, many people believed that bad smells (called miasma) were responsible for the spread of disease, so the state of the river was seen as a public health hazard.

About the site. She then gave us a really interesting talk on the background to the building of Crossness and details about it - who would believe poo could. It was treated as an open sewer, with human excrement and industrial waste dumped directly into the river and left to rot. Here’s the big wheel, in all its resplendent glory: Even more impressive, the engine was actually steaming. Smaller sewers would carry sewage from individual properties into the main tunnels. The diesel locomotive Bazalgette takes visitors along a recently laid track for about 300 metres free of charge. Both Crossness and the wider sewerage system were seen as major feats of Victorian engineering, and the opening of Crossness itself was a particularly prestiguous event. Read More. After 1858, Parliament decided to commission a new, modern sewerage system that would carry the smell away from the centre of the city. At the other end of the beam are the steam cylinders. Crossness Pumping Station. YOU WILL NEED TO VISIT THIS PLACE SEWER OR LATER!! Click here to learn more or control your settings. It was built to liberate Londoners from “The Great Stink” of 1858, which rendered the Thames as one huge foul-smelling and disease-ridden cesspit. Bus service operates). Very friendly welcome from the lady who was to be our guide. If you like my writing, perhaps say thanks. As well as upstairs, you can head downstairs, and see some of the restoration work up close. These were rotative beam engines – likely the largest in the world. from Crossness Pumping Station. The engine has been restored beautifully, and there were some lovely volunteers who helped explain what I was actually seeing – even some in period dress!
You can just make out two of the joins in this photograph: But then I went through to the main attraction – the working Prince Consort. This wasn’t just an industrial site, it was a spectacle – every part of the interior had intricate delication and paintwork. Here’s a picture of the atrium, with one of the flywheels visible in the background – and you can just see a beam poking out behind the pillar. It’s now grade one listed. You can make out the connecting rod in the foreground, I got a second video of that moving: (Unfortunately my phone was almost out of battery, so these are my only two videos.). The other three engines are still in a partial or complete state of disrepair, but they still give you a sense of scale. Here’s another picture of the back of the cylinders: Then I went upstairs for a better view of the rocking beam. It is staggering to think how the Victorians built this in just 3 years with no computers or cranes etc. Up the hill, and I finally got my first glimpse of the engine house. The design of this new system was rather elegant: a series of six main tunnels (three either side of the river) would carry the sewage east, away from the city. United Kingdom. Although tiring, this wasn’t entirely without merit – the route takes you along the top of the Ridgeway, a path that runs along the top of the southern outfall sewer. There’s something incredibly tangible and vivid about a steam engine the size of a building that you just don’t get from modern technology. 5 Millennium Way, London, Greenwich, SE10 0PH, 5.62 miles London Hotels. It’s remarkable to see how well the Victorian system lasted – as with many engineering projects, it was built with plenty of room to grow. Prose is CC-BY licensed, code is MIT. The pumping station and workshop were very interesting. The original engines only had a single cylinder, but in 1899, they were upgraded to a triple-expansion system to cope with London’s increasing sewage needs. Is this a must-do if you are travelling with a, Is this a place or activity you would suggest for, Are the prices for this place or activity, Is this a place or activity you would go to on a, Looking back into history and the genius of Sir Joseph Bazalgette. Given my interest, I decided to head down, have a look round, and take a few photos. By the end of 1950s, these stations were all but abandoned. The endpoint of the southern tunnel was at Crossness. But I turned left, and went into the main exhibition. Would definitely come again. from Crossness Pumping Station, Amersham Vale, London, Lewisham, SE14 6LA, 7.45 miles Plus, an evening departure time means you’ll experience London at its most mysterious. from Crossness Pumping Station, Walmer Terrace, London, Greenwich, SE18 7EA, 2.4 miles I got a train and two tubes to Woolwich Arsenal, then walked the remaining three miles to Crossness. Get advice and assistance from a London Expert.

The whole system was built on a gradient, so everything is carried entirely by gravity. I first came across the story in a BBC docudrama series, which has quite a nice overview. Crossness runs about four open days a month – details on their website – and I would really recommend going if you can. Lesnes Abbey built in the 12th century by Richard de Lucy, Chief Justice to Henry II, is also located in the borough. Please choose a different date. But Crossness survived fairly well: the large chimney in the invitation above was demolished, but otherwise the site was left in reasonable shape. Instead, sewage is sent to treatment plants for processing, and disposed of elsewhere – which led to these old pumping stations being decommissioned. In the main engine house, there’s an exhibition about the Great Stink. Because Crossness was relatively far out, a lot of the workers lived on-site, and in a somewhat forward-thinking move, housing was built at the same time as the main station. Today, the pumping station is open to the public. I deliberately picked a day when the engines were running: The engine has a graceful, almost hypnotic motion. This site uses cookies to improve your experience, to enhance site security and to show you personalised advertising. Today, there’s a sewage treatment plant at Crossness, with the Engines themselves in the original buildings, somewhat off to the side. Lots of volunteers to guide you around, and an added bonus was the fact, Apart from pre-booked guided tours, only open a few Sundays a year this is Victorian engineering at its best. It had the beneficial effect of improving the smell.


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