Since visiting Crossness Pumping Station a couple of years ago, I had been meaning to check out the London Museum of Water & Steam which is, in my mind at least, related. For some reason I find these massive, rotating, pumping machines mesmerising and the history behind them fascinating!

What is the London Museum of Water & Steam?

It is a very interesting immersive site-specific museum, based in the historic buildings of the former Kew Bridge Waterworks, Brentford. The London Museum of Water and Steam is home to the world’s largest collection of stationary steam engines and a lot more, from children friendly displays, historical artifacts ranging from toilets to sinks, and even a mini steam train (running on set days only)

Visiting on a ‘Steam Up day’

We had planned our visit to coincide with their monthly Steam Up weekend. During these events, their historic engines come to life and throughout the day, these colossal machines are set into motion through the power of steam.

There is a team of engineers manning the engines, cleaning them, and they are very friendly and would answer any question.

The reciprocating engines like the Waddon, the Triple, the Dancer’s End, and the Easton and Amos run at regular intervals every half-an-hour starting from 11:30. What can I say, I am not an engineer but I absolutely loved seeing them in action. The movements, the steam rising, the condensation slowly dripping…

Can you grab a bite while visiting the London Museum of Water & Steam?

Of course you can. In fact, it’s the first thing we did once we arrived (it took us about an hour from central London). You don’t even have to pay an entrance if you just want to have a coffee in the very cute area right by the entrance, where wooden tables are surrounded by period decor (from bicycles to old signage). The Stokers coffee shop is managed by a friend Italian chap, they offer very good coffee, home made cakes and biscuits, juices and more. We enjoyed a quick break while planning our visit.

Family friendly activities

During school holidays, beside the monthly Steam Up, the museum organises plenty of extras: there is a water based play area, and we did a Scavenger’s Hunt (with a prize!), then we also boarded the mini steam train. While these activities are charged a little extra, they are absolutely worth it; they add to the experience, they provided extra knowledge and of course, they are a way of supporting the museum which is always in need of support to provide more experiences and ensure the artifacts can be preserved.

History at the London Museum of Water & Steam

While my little one enjoyed the more hands on, kiddie activities, I spent a while reading about London’s water works, from Roman times to today; how the sewers cope with the disgusting amount of thrash people thrown in their toilets, how water is purified so that is drinkable and so on. I was fascinated by the ‘doll houses’ showcasing different periods of historical dwellings and how these coped with waste disposal.

In conclusion

Is a day trip to the Museum of Water & Steam worth it? Absolutely, 100% yes. I could not recommend it more. There is even free parking for those driving otherwise the Kew Bridge rail station is about two minutes’ walk away, while the tube (Gunnesbury) about 15m. Nearby is the very pretty Strand on the Green so why not make it a full day out and enjoy a riverside meal after?