EastOfDesolation
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The original Abbey Mills Pumping Station (Station A) is located in East London and was built between 1865 and 1868. designed by engineer Joseph Bazalgette, Edmund Cooper, and architect Charles Driver, it is cruciform in shape, and in the elaborate Byzantine style. Known by many as Bazalgette's "Cathedral of Sewerage", it originally had two Moorish styled elaborate chimneys, a relic from the pumping stations steam powered past (pre 1933). However, these were demolished during the Second World War, as there was a significant risk of them collapsing on the pumping station if bombed, preventing the station doing it's job.
""Station A" The old Abbey Mills Pumping Station building at night"
Wow. What a building! And the inside is pretty spectacular to boot! Fitted out in the 1930's with electric pumps to replace the original steam ones, the interior is ornate and still bears reference to the original beam engines.
Just on the edges of shot in this image, you can see a pair of "Dalek" like pump heads. The red light found throughout the night time visit shots is provided by banks of heaters glowing, keeping the temperature nice and toasty!
"Flow meters for the pumps, just in shot on either side"
The pumps themselves are far larger than apparent from the "ground level" within the building. The part visible in this next shot is just the motor; below runs a driveshaft, connected to a centrifugal pump within the nether levels of the building.
"A Dalek shaped motor housing, again lit by heater elements"
The upper floors of the building contain seemingly wasted space; Gantries criss cross, with large voids. Reality is that these once provided access to the huge arms of the original steam driven beam pumping engines which once graced the building. You can see, the central void leading to the cupola. Met on all 4 sides by the pump galleries. You can spot the pair of center voids above each gallery, with their ornate railings, simply for decoration. To the left and right of these, there is another pair of voids, the original beam engine arms would have swung in these. The railings here are much less ornate and much more open.
"An overview of the upper level, showing cruciform shape, and openings for the beam engines"
It is worth a closer look at the railings, and one can see the ornate cast iron, painting and woodwork. Bearing the crests of the 7 civic bodies who funded Bazalgettes' sewer network, it is a true work of art;
"The crests of the 7 civic bodies financing the project"
For an idea of the scale, a shabby bunch of explorers present themselves!
The building was apparently named after an abbey with a waterwheel, historically present on the site. Built as part of Bazalgettes' solution to the "Great Stink", a side effect of Baz's work was to greatly reduce the cholera and typhoid death tolls within London. Many hundreds of thousands of peoples lives have been saved as a result!
"Gina, Gary, The Winch and myself
We can look down the voids at the more modern, much smaller but still marvelous electric pumps;
"A pump from the gantry above"
From the ground floor, looking across the main hall, the intricacies of the iron work can be further noted. The astute among you may have noticed that some of the images are taken in daylight. That's because I made two visits!
"A view across the pump room"
We wrap up with a final shot across the length of the building, taking in a pair of pumps and flow gauge, as well as the ornate cupola ironwork. One can also see, on the ceiling and floor, voids for the steam powered beam engines used for pumping when the building was first opened:
"An overview of the ground floor"
Abbey Mills Pumping station is still a very live site. Home to the new, modern Abbey Mills pumping station and a head chamber of the Lea Storm relief. The old pumping station, photographed here is still in use, and very much a live, active site. The pumps are used in periods of very high flow, and are liable to start and stop without warning!
""Station A" The old Abbey Mills Pumping Station building at night"
Wow. What a building! And the inside is pretty spectacular to boot! Fitted out in the 1930's with electric pumps to replace the original steam ones, the interior is ornate and still bears reference to the original beam engines.
Just on the edges of shot in this image, you can see a pair of "Dalek" like pump heads. The red light found throughout the night time visit shots is provided by banks of heaters glowing, keeping the temperature nice and toasty!
"Flow meters for the pumps, just in shot on either side"
The pumps themselves are far larger than apparent from the "ground level" within the building. The part visible in this next shot is just the motor; below runs a driveshaft, connected to a centrifugal pump within the nether levels of the building.
"A Dalek shaped motor housing, again lit by heater elements"
The upper floors of the building contain seemingly wasted space; Gantries criss cross, with large voids. Reality is that these once provided access to the huge arms of the original steam driven beam pumping engines which once graced the building. You can see, the central void leading to the cupola. Met on all 4 sides by the pump galleries. You can spot the pair of center voids above each gallery, with their ornate railings, simply for decoration. To the left and right of these, there is another pair of voids, the original beam engine arms would have swung in these. The railings here are much less ornate and much more open.
"An overview of the upper level, showing cruciform shape, and openings for the beam engines"
It is worth a closer look at the railings, and one can see the ornate cast iron, painting and woodwork. Bearing the crests of the 7 civic bodies who funded Bazalgettes' sewer network, it is a true work of art;
"The crests of the 7 civic bodies financing the project"
For an idea of the scale, a shabby bunch of explorers present themselves!
The building was apparently named after an abbey with a waterwheel, historically present on the site. Built as part of Bazalgettes' solution to the "Great Stink", a side effect of Baz's work was to greatly reduce the cholera and typhoid death tolls within London. Many hundreds of thousands of peoples lives have been saved as a result!
"Gina, Gary, The Winch and myself
We can look down the voids at the more modern, much smaller but still marvelous electric pumps;
"A pump from the gantry above"
From the ground floor, looking across the main hall, the intricacies of the iron work can be further noted. The astute among you may have noticed that some of the images are taken in daylight. That's because I made two visits!
"A view across the pump room"
We wrap up with a final shot across the length of the building, taking in a pair of pumps and flow gauge, as well as the ornate cupola ironwork. One can also see, on the ceiling and floor, voids for the steam powered beam engines used for pumping when the building was first opened:
"An overview of the ground floor"
Abbey Mills Pumping station is still a very live site. Home to the new, modern Abbey Mills pumping station and a head chamber of the Lea Storm relief. The old pumping station, photographed here is still in use, and very much a live, active site. The pumps are used in periods of very high flow, and are liable to start and stop without warning!
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