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Site ID :- GTL00113
Key Words :- Sewage works, pumping station
Linked Sites :-
GTL00123,Deptford Pumping Station
GTL00465,Southern Outfall Sewer

Address :- Bazalgette Way, Abbey Wood, London, Greater London, SE2 9AQ
Grid Reference :- TQ 48622 81044
Grid Co-ordinates :- Easting 548622 m, Northing 181044 m
Lat & Long (WGS84) :- 51.508786 , 0.140203
View Historic Mapping
Site Location :- Within Thames Water site
Viewing Site :- Pumping station visible from the Thames Path
Parish or Township :-
Administrative Area :- Bexley
Pre 1974 County :- Greater London Council
Site Status :- Listed - Grade I
Site Condition :- Operational site, in use for original purpose
Historic England List No - 1064241, 1064216, 1250557,
Site Era :-Early Modern 1850-1950 to Modern Post 1950
Site Dates :- 1865 -
Visit By :- -

Contributor :- GLIAS Database - 2 June 2018
Contributors Society :- Greater London Industrial Archaeology Society
Copyright :- cc-by-nc-sa 4.0 © GLIAS Database

Record Status :- Reviewed
Reviewed By :- David Perrett - 16 February 2020

Description and History

Opened April 1865 at eastern end of Southern Outfall Works of Bazalgette's main drainage system. Original Pumping Engine House survives. White gault brick with polychrome, chimney and Mansard roof removed c. 1940. Main entrance facing river with dog-tooth Norman arch now concealed by later sympathetic extension of 1899, that originally housed triple expansion steam engines, now contains remains of two diesels with Gwynne pumps. Boiler House behind. Spectacular interior with central octagonal framework and galleries on wrought-iron columns with foliated capitals and perforated cast-iron upper floors, all once brightly coloured. Still houses original four 125 HP rotative beam engines (James Watt & Son, 1865), tripled in 1899 by Benjamin Goodfellow to improve efficiency. Southern Outfall Reservoir of 6.5 acres, behind Engine House. Divided into 4 compartments, covered by brick supported on 644 brick piers. Culverts admitted tidal river water to scour it out.

Museum Trust formed 1985. One pumping engine now restored to steam. There are occasional open days.

Further Reading and References

See http://www.crossness.org.uk/

There is an article (1969) by Alan Thomas, 'Crossness pumping engine house' in London Archaeologist 1(4), page 79.

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