It’s wonderful when your expectations are completely confounded, as we found when visiting the London Museum of Water and Steam in Brentford, West London.
I wasn’t sure what to expect beforehand, and wasn’t sure whether it would really interest my son or me. I have to confess that centrifugal pumps had never really done it for me, much as some people find French Gothic cathedrals utterly tedious. So I didn’t envisage being so captivated by the exhibition that we ended up buying an annual pass for the Museum on our way out!
The Museum is housed in the former Kew Bridge Waterworks, its tower a familiar sight to anyone driving west on the nearby M4 out of London. It tells the fascinating story of water in London, and how it went from being a high-risk health hazard to the purified product Londoners drink today. The original Grand Junction Waterworks Company opened the site in 1838, and it continued to operate until it was turned into a Museum in the 1970s.
In this article I show you this and other aspects of the exhibition, much of which has plenty of interactive elements to intrigue the kids. I’ll also explain the practicalities of getting there, opening times and how to buy tickets. Finally I’ll suggest other places to visit nearby in West London, a wonderful part of the metropolis to explore.
What To See at the London Museum Of Water And Steam
The Standpipe Tower
The 200-foot-tall standpipe tower at the Museum is one of the last of its kind in the world. It houses a large pumping mechanism, and is one of the last surviving standpipe towers in the world.
It’s one of the most prominent West London landmarks, one I had long been curious to learn more about, having passed it countless times on the nearby M4. I asked staff at the Museum about the style of architecture, and they confirmed what I suspected – that the design was Italian-influenced. The unusual shape of the tower – gradually narrowing towards the top – always confused me a little. But it’s not difficult to imagine this tower gracing a town hall in a small town somewhere in central Italy.
The Museum have recently received a substantial grant, and they are hoping to reopen the tower. As well as seeing the pump mechanism inside, you would also be rewarded with an amazing view of this fascinating part of west London.
History of Water in London
For me the most fascinating part of the exhibition is learning about the history of water use and consumption in London.
It’s hard to imagine now, but if you were transported less than 200 years back to the city and walked around the city, you would have been retching in minutes. The city would have absolutely stunk.
There’s a reason so much beer was consumed during the Middle Ages. It was far less likely to make you seriously ill. The lack of sanitation would have shortened lives by decades compared to modern times, and human and animal waste all would have ended up in one place – the River Thames. In those days, our pee and poo would have been dug out of our privies (those of us wealthy enough to have them, that is), scooping the poop and carting it off to sell as fertilizer. The poor souls responsible for this were called gong farmers, or night soul men.
By the 18th century, drinking tea became popular, especially in English high society. The drink itself tasted wonderful to many at the time, but there was an unspoken reason that tea drinking caught on. The boiling of water to make tea would have killed off bacteria lurking in the water, making it much safer to drink. A new threat came from abroad in the 1810s with the spread of cholera, which was caused by contaminated water or food. Its cause wasn’t known until the 1850s, by which time it had killed millions worldwide.
It wasn’t until the 19th century that a sewer network was finally built under London, dramatically improving sanitation for most and extending life expectancy by several years at a stroke. For this we have to thank Joseph Bazalgette, whose sewers are still in use around 160 years after being built.
The Wall of Water Appliances
One of the first things you see when you enter the Museum is the wall of appliances. Seeing it makes you realise how much water we must use every day. There are some real historic gems there, including an original Thomas Crapper toilet bowl, boilers, washing machines, steam driers, taps and a fire bucket.
Virtual Sewer
The virtual sewer is one of my son’s favourite parts of the Museum. After our first visit (of five or six) he was well aware that there would be no putrid odours, but hoped for them all the same!
Mercifully everything was meticulously clean, but we both loved the idea of walking through such a rarely accessible part of the city, and envisaging a vast network of these tunnels beneath the streets of London.
It all looks very realistic, with brick tunnels just like the Victorian-era sewers underground. But the only rat we saw was the one I bought for the Little Man at the gift shop on the way home.
Manual Water Pump
As one of the displays states, up to one-tenth of the world’s population doesn’t have access to clean drinking water. The pump gives kids a little appreciation of what life must be like for people who have no choice but to live like this.
Pumping the water takes a big effort. Visitors don’t have to carry the water long distances home in searing heat, but the effort taken to pump the water at least gives some idea of the hardship so many people endure daily.
Another exhibit close by illustrates how much water we use each day – a staggering 160 to 200 litres per person.
The Steam Hall
For many, the highlight of the Museum is its collection of steam-powered pump engines, The collection dates from between 1820 and 1920, and includes three Cornish engines. At various times they were used to pump drinking water to parts of – and eventually most of – West London. They were eventually replaced by electric pumps in the 20th century.
The exhibits include a Boulton & Watt engine from 1820, and the Maudslay engine from 1838. One that particularly caught our attention is the Dancers End engine (pictured), which was built for the wealthy Rothschild estate in Hertfordshire.
Kids can sometimes have a go on one of the later engines, and dress up in period costume for the experience.
Outdoor Play Area
Young kids love the various water play options outside.
These include the Archimedes screw and a dam-building machine which my son enjoyed playing for half an hour with some kids he met there.
This part of the Museum is closed during the winter months (November to March).
Steam Train Rides
There is a short (400-metre) narrow-gauge railway track behind the Museum, and train rides are offered there one weekend a month. Check the Museum website for dates they are running.
Where Is The London Museum of Water and Steam
The London Museum of Water and Steam is in Brentford, West London. The address is Green Dragon Lane London TW8 0EN.
It’s a very short walk from Kew Bridge and little more than five minutes’ walk from the Gtech Community Stadium, home to my second Premier League team, Brentford FC.
How To Get to The London Museum of Water and Steam
The easiest way to get to the Museum is by train. It’s only a three-minute walk from Kew Bridge train station – trains there run from Waterloo station in Central London, and they also call at Clapham Junction en route. These trains usually run every half an hour, and the journey takes 30 minutes. If you happen to miss the Kew Bridge stop, the next stop is Brentford station, which is about a mile walk (15-20 minutes) away.
Three buses also stop very close to the Museum – the 65 (which runs from Ealing Broadway station to Kingston-upon-Thames), the 237 (which runs from White City to Frampton Road) and the 267, which runs from Hammersmith Bus Station to South Road / Fulwell.
If you’re travelling from central London, Ealing or Hammersmith, alight at the Kew Bridge Station bus stop. If you’re travelling from outer west London towards Hammersmith, Ealing or the centre, alight at the London Museum of Water and Steam stop.
Where To Stay Near The London Museum of Water and Steam
It’s worth staying somewhere fairly close to the Museum, as it’s also very close to Kew Gardens. Here are some great hotel options close by:
My top recommendation is the Coach & Horses Hotel, in a phenomenal location halfway between the Victoria Gate entrance to Kew Gardens and the Museum of Water and Steam.
Holiday Inn Brentford Lock by IHG is a little further away, a 20-minute walk or short bus ride from the Museum. It’s just off the end of Brentford High Street, and also close to Syon House and Park.
Clayton Hotel, Chiswick – great 4-star hotel on Chiswick High Road, just over a mile from the Museum and Kew Gardens
Kew Bridge Apartments – very convenient location just behind the Musical Museum, ideal for visiting the area
Places To Visit Near The London Museum of Water And Steam
The Water and Steam Museum is in the far west of London – not the extreme west of the metropolis, but close to the section of the M4 with high-rise buildings either side which tells you: You’re in London.
My article on the best things to do in west London is a great place to start, as it covers the entire western side of the city, from the theatres of the West End to Richmond Park, a few miles away.
The main entrance to Kew Gardens is only a 15-minute walk over Kew Bridge and along Kew Gardens Road. You could easily spend two full days visiting the Gardens – there’s so much to see, including the Palm Court, treetop walk and Great Pagoda. You’ll almost certainly clock up a few miles seeing it all, and it’s beautiful in any season – we’ve been there in the height of summer and in snow in winter, and it’s always magnificent.
A little closer to Kew Bridge, I also recommend the Musical Museum in Brentford. It’s only a few doors down the street from the Museum of Water and Steam, and they often have offers for combined tickets. It’s a lovely Museum, full of fascinating artefacts including a theremin (a proto-synthesiser, essentially) and a Wurlitzer organ that used to be played in a cinema in west London. I suggest joining a guided tour as you’ll get much more from it than just looking at the exhibits – the demonstrations of some of the instruments bring it all to life.
Several stately homes are also within a few miles – we particularly recommend Chiswick House, Syon House a mile or two west, the other side of Brentford) and Osterley House, also a short distance beyond Brentford.
And some music fans among you may well be curious to visit the Marc Bolan Shrine London, just along the river in leafy Barnes.
Visiting the London Museum of Water and Steam – Final Thoughts
I hope this article has been helpful for you, and that you enjoy your visit to the Museum. It’s a wonderful homespun little place, everyone there is so friendly and helpful, and my son and I adored our visits there. The collection is superbly curated, and the interactive displays told the story in an easy-to-understand way that we found captivating – as would many others. It’s one of the best hidden gems in London.
I also rate it one of the best industrial heritage sites in Europe to visit, along with the likes of the Welsh Slate Landscape in Gwynedd, the medieval silver mine of Kutna Hora and the Tin Mines of Cornwall.
For more ideas on places to visit and things to do in London, here is a selection of my articles on the city for you to look through:
34 Famous Streets In London To Explore
16 Old Streets In London – London’s Oldest Streets
Where To Find The Best Red Telephone Boxes In London
Visiting The Golden Hinde, London
Visiting Westminster Abbey – London’s Astounding Royal Church
15 Best Things To Do In West London
Sunrise In London – 10 Best Places To See It
Sunsets In London – The Best 20 Locations