Prince Consort in a cathedral of ironwork
The Crossness Engines
The Crossness pumping station was opened by the Prince of Wales in 1865. The four magnificent steam engines played a vital part in the sewage system created by Jospeh Bazalgette to improve health and sanitation in Victorian London.
One of the four engines, the Prince Consort, has been restored to full working order. On steam days it is possible to visualise how the pumps raised London's sewage into a reservoir before it was released into the Thames as the tide went out.
The inside of the Engine House was decorated with ornate and brightly coloured iron work. The four engines stood at the corners of the building. The monogram of the Metreoplolitan Board of Works featured in the centre of the cast-iron screens.
Submitted by: Andrew Hunt, 22 January 2007
