Let’s be honest, visiting a sewage pumping station probably isn’t at the top of most people’s London bucket list. And yet… here we are. Crossness Pumping Station isn’t just any old bit of plumbing history. It’s a beautiful slice of Victorian engineering, tucked away in southeast London.
The smell that sets the scene
I dragged a friend along that day (with the promise that, no, we weren’t going to spend our afternoon knee-deep in raw sewage). “It’s a listed building, Victorian, with beautiful ironwork!”.
As soon as we stepped off the train, though, reality hit us. A gust of warm, earthy air, undeniably sewage-scented, blew our way. Yep, Crossness is right next to a still-operating modern treatment plant. The look on my friend’s face…
Why Was Crossness Built?
Crossness Pumping Station was built in the 1860s as part of Sir Joseph Bazalgette’s plan to clean up London’s sewage system. At the time, the Thames was basically an open sewer, and the city was suffering from a lot of cholera outbreaks. Not to mention the infamous Great Stink of 1858… the smell was so bad that the Parliament had to hang soaked curtains to cope.
Crossness was one of four massive pumping stations designed to push waste away from the city and out to sea, revolutionising public health and urban sanitation.
Inside the cathedral of sewage
Honestly, once you’re inside, it’s a total shift. The outside’s pretty unassuming, but walk through the main doors and you’re in what they call the “Cathedral of Sewage.” Massive cast-iron beams, intricate Victorian patterns, and these huge old engines that once powered the whole thing. This is the kind of place that makes you stop and think, “Wait, they built all this… just to pump poo?”…
James Watt Beam Engines: The beating heart of Crossness
One of the highlights is the beam engines. It has 4 of them, named after the main members of the Victorian Royal Family. These giant machines used to pump millions of gallons of sewage a day out of London! The Crossness Pumping Station is a Grade 1 Listed industrial heritage site. What I loved most was how over-the-top it all is. The Victorians really went all out, even for a sewage system. Painted columns, floral details, Gothic arches…
Crossness was officially opened on the 4th April 1865 by Edward, Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VII). It was decommissioned in the 1950’s and left to rust. In 1984, a group of people found the forgotten Crossness Pumping Station. The volunteers formed the Crossness Engines Trust in 1987 and made it their mission to bring it back to life and not let this incredible piece of history disintegrate forever.
There is an upstairs section. It’s worth a quick look for the vantage point, but the real magic is definitely on the ground floor.
A Museum of Pumps
Tucked inside the site is a small museum. It’s full of beautifully restored pumps, valves. Some dating back to the 1800s. If you’re into engineering history, you’ll love it.
How to visit Crossness Pumping Station
Getting there: It’s not the easiest spot. But the Elisabeth Line made it a little easier. The closest station is Abbey Wood or Woolwich, then it’s a bit of a walk or a short cab ride.
When to visit: It is open to the public on Steaming Days, special events and booked tours. Cost of entry £22.50 with Gift Aid.
What to bring: Comfy shoes, and maybe a scarf if you’re sensitive to smells.
A new place every week
Crossness was one of my more unexpected stops on a journey I started earlier this year: visiting a new corner of London every week. The week before, I found myself beneath the Strand at Aldwych’s abandoned tube station, exploring dusty platforms. Read the article here.
The Victorians certainly went into a lot of effort to install some superb detailed wrought iron work inside the station itself. It is well worth visiting and very interesting displays to view and lots of information to read about the history.
