Hidden far, far away in the furthest reaches of South East London, there’s a cathedral unlike any other. Welcome to Crossness Pumping Station, a masterpiece of Victorian engineering and design, built not for worship, but for sewage. Its construction has shaped modern London to this day, and today, it makes for a brilliant day out.

What is Crossness Pumping Station?

Cathedral and sewage aren’t words too often seen together… Unless, that is, you’re talking about some of the Victorian pumping stations built in the late 19^th century as part of a mammoth effort to create a modern sewer system for London.

One such marvel is Crossness Pumping Station, in Abbey Wood, South East London. It opened in 1865, during the golden age of steam power, and remained operational well into the 1950s.

Its job? Collect all sewage carried by the sewers network south of the Thames and treat it for safe disposal.

The facilities were upgraded several times – steam gave way to diesel – until eventually, the sheer volume of waste meant new plants had to be built.

The original pumping station was decommissioned and lay derelict for over 30 years. Until, that is, a dedicated group of volunteers brought it back to life and restored one of the massive steam engines.

Today, Crossness Pumping Station, “the Cathedral on the Marsh”, is recognized as a masterpiece of 19th-century engineering, architecture, and design. It’s a Grade 1 Listed industrial heritage site and a working museum. Regular open days let visitors see the restored steam engine in action, and …trust me…both the engine and the building that houses it are sights to behold!

The story of Crossness Pumping Station

The brains behind the huge project that was Crossness Pumping station? Sir Joseph Bazalgette, chief engineer for the Metropolitan Board of Works (London’s ruling body of the time). Its architect? Charles Henry Driver, who would build Abbey Mills Pumping Station on the other side of the river a few years later.

The heart of the Crossness Pumping Station site was the beam engines house, with four huge 50 tons steam-powered beam engines, the largest in the world. They were called Victoria, Prince Consort, Albert Edward and Alexandra, and manufactured by James Watt & Co. one of the most influential firms in improving and popularizing steam engines during the Industrial Revolution.

The bean engines job was to pump sewage into the River Thames at high tide for disposal away from London, and eventual dispersion at sea. Which doesn’t sound very hygienic, but was actually a massive improvement over overflowing cesspits being emptied in the capital’s waterways and drinking water being drawn from those same waterways, which is what was done before.

The site also contained a boiler house and Italianate chimney, workshops and a reservoir, as well as homes for the employees and a school for their children. It ran like its own little village—self-sufficient, because it had to be. After all, it was in the middle of nowhere. It had its own railway, too, to transport coal for the steam engines from the river.

When Crossness Pumping Station was decommissioned in 1953, it was allowed to fall into disrepair. The chimney was demolished in 1958, and the rest of the site lay untouched and unloved until the mid 80s.

In 1985, a group of volunteers called the Crossness Engines Trust was set up to start work on restoring the site, including the steam engines. Just under 20 years later, in 2003, Prince Consort started steaming again!

The open day at Crossness Pumping Station

Every month or so, the Crossness Engines Trust runs open steaming days, where they welcome visitors and fire up Prince Consort. Watching it come to life is worth every penny.

Crossness Pumping station is located in Crossness Sewage Treatment Works, about 45 minutes from Abbey Wood station on foot. You could – if you really wanted to – walk to the site. But why would you, when your ticket includes a ride on a vintage red double-decker routemaster. It’ll take you right to the entry to the museum site. (How cool is that?)

Even better, you can hop off early and catch a charming little toy train to the museum. Well, it’s not actually a toy—it’s the Royal Arsenal Narrow Gauge railway (RANG). It started in 2018, so it’s not part of the original Crossness site, but boy is it fun! It goes back and forth through the day, but watch out for lunchtime, because it doesn’t run then (see tips below).

Once you get to Crossness Pumping station, you get to explore at your own leisure. The beam engine house is the main attraction, of course, but the ancillary buildings are worth a visit too.

You’ll find an array of smaller steam engines, fully functioning, in the Valve House. Several panels tell you more about the Valve house itself and its role within the Crossness Pumping Station site. For example, it was the first of the on-site schools. The workshop building is also open to the public, and the array of equipment within gives the visitor a small glimpse of how much hard work is still ongoing to continue restoring the site.

The museum features an exhibition on “the Great Stink” of 1858, the history of Crossness and London sanitation in general. It also covers the development of flushing toilets, which predates the sewer system and contributed in no small part to the accumulation of toxic waste.

And did you ever wonder what people used before toilet paper was invented? Mussel shells (yes, really!) were just one of the less-than-comfortable options…

Safety hats and glasses will be provided for the beam engine house, and you get to wander inside at your leisure. It is truly a unique sight. Half of it has been left in the state it was found in before restoration started, weathered down and blackened by age, the perfect foil to the other half.

The restoration is still an obvious work in progress, but Prince Consort is gleaming, and the intricate cast iron work has been repainted with historically accurate colours. Every corner of the site tells a story of innovation and dedication, past and present. There’s even an original LBW cupboard in a corner – it’s beautiful!

Crossness Pumping Station steaming open day is a unique experience: history, technology, and the charm of vintage transportation in one wonderful package. It’s made even better by the many volunteers on hand, who are only too happy to chat and share their obvious love for the site.

So… is Crossness Pumping Station worth visiting, then?

Oh yes!!! It’s one of London’s best-kept secrets—and an unforgettable day out. If you’re even slightly curious, grab a ticket for the next open day. You won’t regret it.

Crossness Pumping Station: useful information

Address: Bazalgette Way Abbey Wood SE2 9AQ

Crossness Pumping Station on Google Maps

Website: https://crossness.org.uk/

How to get there: The “closest” station is Abbey Wood (British Rail, Elizabeth Line). Check out the extensive directions for getting there on the Crossness site.

Toilets: Yes

There’s also a museum café with some snacks, and a museum shop with some cool stuff to buy.

Tip: that train between the entrance to the general sewage site and the museum itself? It’s best taken on the way back. Why? 2 reasons:

1. On the way in, the way to the stop is not particularly easy to find.
2. It doesn’t run at lunchtime, but there’s not really any info to when “lunchtime” is

Now, that was the case when I visited—things might have changed by the time you go. And just to be clear, the volunteers do an amazing job, so this isn’t a criticism—just a heads-up.

Where to go from there?

Want to explore even more interesting London history? Check out (in no particular order) Trinity Buoy Wharf, Sutton House in Hackney, or the museum of the Order of St John in Clerckenwell. Or really, all the posts tagged with London History on the blog…