Kempton Steam Museum Visit

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London Region’s next attraction is a visit to the Kempton Steam Museum in Hanworth, Middlesex. This is an opportunity to learn about early 20th century British engineering at its best. The Kempton Park Pumping Station, a Grade II* listed scheduled monument just off the A316 just before the start/at the end of the M3 motorway, houses the two largest working triple expansion steam engines in the world. Standing 62 ft high and weighing 1000 tons each, these colossal machines have to be seen to be believed. These mighty engines were used to pump vast amounts of drinking water extracted from the Thames to reservoirs in North London between 1929 and 1980, when they were superseded by electric pumps housed in an adjacent building. The building and the machinery within have been preserved as part of our social and industrial heritage, and since 1995 have been taken care by volunteers of the Kempton Great Engines Trust. Even if you are not particularly interested in Steam Engines, watching these colossal machines in operation is quite something.

We will be visiting on one of the Museum’s “Steaming Days” when the engines are powered up at intervals during the day to give visitors an impression of their power and majesty. The museum has a rich industrial heritage story to tell about the supply of clean drinking water to London in the early 20th century and is quite an experience. In order to enhance our experience a limited number of Club members will be allowed to “display park” their cars within the Museum grounds. This number will be limited as on the weekend of our visit the Museum will also be holding a Science Fair (exact details as yet unknown).

Arrival on the day from 10.00am onwards please, the Museum Opening Times are from 10.30am to 4.00pm.

Practical issues: The Museum itself is within the expanded ULEZ Zone, so anyone wishing to display park will need to come in a compliant or exempt vehicle, or be prepared to pay the charge. However, the approach road and visitor car park are outside the ULEZ Zone, so it is possible to visit the Museum without incurring the charge, should you wish to do so in a non-compliant vehicle. Anyone wishing more information on this should consult the TfL website by clicking on this link: https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/ultra-low-emission-zone/ulez-expansion-2023

Whilst there are limited catering facilities at the Museum, I would recommend that members bring a picnic lunch, as the weather should be fine in August. As an additional attraction, immediately adjacent to the Museum is the Hampton & Kempton Waterworks Railway, the only operational 1915 heritage steam narrow-gauge railway ‘loop’ within the M25. Entry to this attraction is not included with the Museum ticket and must be paid for separately. For more information on the railway, please click on this link: https://hamptonkemptonrailway.org.uk/

Please select your tickets on this page and click Book Now. Any questions, please contact me.

Event details

Time of event
10:00am to 4:00pm

Date(s) of event
18 August 2024 to 18 August 2024

Location
Postcode: TW13 6XH

Accessibility information

The museum is fully accessible from the ground to the main floor via a lift. However, to get the most from the museum I would suggest you need to be reasonably physically fit. The museum is an industrial environment containing moving machinery, steep stairs and hard surfaces. Children must remain supervised at all times. Only assistance dogs are permitted inside the building.