Kew Bridge Steam Museum
About Kew Bridge Steam Museum
Giant beam engines, the earliest built in 1820, operate under steam and are the largest of their kind in the world. Housed in a Victorian waterworks visited by Dickens, these engines pumped London's water for over 100 years. The interactive 'Water for life' gallery explores the 2000 year history of London's water. We have a steam railway, waterwheel and horse-gin. The massive steam pumping engines are working at weekends and Bank Holidays. Contact the museum for information of special events happening throughout the year.
| Opening Times | Tues-Sun: 11.00-16.00. Closed: Mon, except Bank hols. Last admission: 15.30. |
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Kew Bridge Steam Museum Address
| Address: |
Green Dragon Lane
Brentford
TW8 0EN
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| Telephone: | +44 (0)20 8568 4757 |
| Fax: | +44 (0)20 8569 9978 |
Location Information for Kew Bridge Steam Museum
| Address: |
Green Dragon Lane
Brentford
TW8 0EN
|
|---|---|
| Telephone: | +44 (0)20 8568 4757 |
| Fax: | +44 (0)20 8569 9978 |
| By Road: | Turn right out of station and then take first road on right into Green Dragon Lane. |
Getting There
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© Collins Bartholomew 2009What else is near Kew Bridge Steam Museum?
Traveller Rating:
Based on 2 reviews
Latest 2 reviews of Kew Bridge Steam Museum
Great if you are in the area
We found this an interesting place to spend a couple of hours. For me the best exhibit was the history of London's water supply. For my male companion I think it was the steam engines!
The staff were extremely helpful to us, we were allowed to leave all of our suitcases and backpacks at reception at no cost, which was fantastic.
13 April 2009
The beginnings of the Industrial Revolution
This museum is a little off the beaten path but accessible using the Underground (stop: Kew Bridge).
I made a point to stop here after hearing of the museum in a lecture on the Industrial Revolution. The first part of the museum gives a history of water supply and its importance to London. The second major portion of the museum is a "walk through" exhibit of all the huge pumps, many of which will operate during the course of a weekend. I'm not an expert on these things, but they're worth the price of admission alone. There is also a steam locomotive (London's only) around the periphery of the grounds that you can get a ride on which is a bonus especially for families with children.
The staff was one of the friendliest I have met at a museum and clearly enjoy their roles.
Anyone with an interest in history or engineering would love a visit. Highly recommended.
12 November 2008
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Events at Kew Bridge Steam Museum
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The Allen Diesel Engine
ExhibitionRecurring event
The Allen diesel engine is one of four originally installed at Kew Bridge. The engines were installed to meet extra demand during the summer months and, along with electrical pumps, to replace the steam engines when they retired during the 1940s. Our engine is a 3-cylinders, 4-stroke engine, coupled to a centrifugal pump. It has many features in common with more modern diesel engines, including a fully enclosed crankcase, but still has an external flywheel.
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The Boulton and Watt Engine
ExhibitionRecurring event
The Boulton and Watt engine was built in 1820 and moved to Kew Bridge from the Grand Junction Waterworks Comany's Chelsea works in 1840. Originally there were two engines installed in this building, but the 'East Cornish' engine was removed in the 1940s to allow artefacts from other pumping stations to be displayed here, as part of the Metropolitan Water Board museum. The Boulton & Watt is the oldest engine on site and ceased working in 1943 before being restored to working order in 1975. The sump of this engine has proved popular with wildlife with fish and crabs making their homes there
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The Bull Engine
ExhibitionRecurring event
The Bull engine is named after the Cornish engineer Edward Bull, a friend of Richard Trevithick. The Bull engine at Kew Bridge was built by Harvey & Co in 1856, although it was not put to work until 1859. A Bull engine differs from a traditional Cornish beam engine in that the steam cylinder is inverted over the pump and thus dispenses with the need for a main beam. This design meant that a Bull engine took up about half the space of a beam engine of similar pumping capacity and makes the engine safer to operate.
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The Easton & Amos Engine
ExhibitionRecurring event
This beam engine differs from the large Cornish beam engines in having one end of the beam connected to a crank to produce rotary motion. While it made the engine simpler to operate and maintain, the main drawback of this type of engine was that it was relatively expensive to install, requiring more engine parts and heavier foundations. It was popular for use in small, rural waterworks, where the huge capacity of a Cornish engine was not required. Rotative beam engines were also extensively used to drive mill and factory machinery.
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