The Crossness Pumping Station is a former sewage pumping station, constructed between 1859 and 1865, and designed by engineer Sir Joseph Bazalgette and architect Charles Henry Driver. It features spectacular ornamental cast ironwork, that Nikolaus Pevsner described as “a masterpiece of engineering – a Victorian cathedral of ironwork”.
This visit will include an illustrated talk giving the historical context and impetus for Bazalgette’s revolutionary sewage system for London, a guided tour of the site and engines, a chance to see the engines ‘in steam’, a ride on the narrow gauge railway, and an opportunity to look around their Great Stink exhibition and extraordinary collection of toilets.
Vintage bus pick up from Abbey Wood Station running on the day.
Image: Crossness Pumping Station, Belvedere, Kent by Christine Matthews CC BY-SA 2.0