Kew Bridge Steam Museum

Kew Bridge Steam Museum

Kew Bridge Steam Museum is located in Brentford, west London, England, adjacent to Kew Bridge spanning the River Thames. Established in 1975, the museum houses a collection of water supply and pumping steam engines and is one of the fixed points on the European Route of Industrial Heritage.

The Kew Bridge Steam Museum is situated within a grand 19th-century waterworks, which had been operated by the Grand Junction Waterworks Company since 1838 but was later shut down due to poor water quality. The Kew Bridge Steam Museum is an excellent place to learn about the technologies that led to the British Industrial Revolution and the country's world-leading industrial economy in the 19th century. All the steam engines at the museum are powered by real steam, making it one of the most significant heritage sites of the British water industry. The museum boasts the world’s largest collection of Cornish beam engines, including the world’s largest working beam engine — the “Grand Junction 90” from 1846. Weighing 250 tons, standing over 40 feet tall, and with cylinders 90 inches in diameter, it pumped water for Londoners for 98 years and was described by Charles Dickens as a monstrous engine.

In addition, Kew Bridge Steam Museum is home to one of the operational narrow-gauge steam railways in Britain. The 2-foot gauge railway is managed and run by museum volunteers, attracting numerous visitors for rides. The museum has also been used as a filming location for many films and TV dramas, such as "EastEnders," "Doctor Who," and "The Victorian Kitchen Garden."

Kew Bridge Steam Museum

Must-visit reason: See the world’s largest beam engine

Continent where the attraction is located: Europe【Europe】

Country/Region where the attraction is located: Britain[Britain]

Province/State where the attraction is located: Greater London [Greater London]

City where the attraction is located: London [London]