The Crossness Engines Trust

29/12/2022

Even when on holiday, our volunteers remember Crossness. We’ve been sent these images of some 15th Century chamber pots displayed at the Museo de Cerámica in Manises, Valencia (Spain).
Museu de Ceràmica de Manises
📷M.Ridley

26/12/2022

Photos from Catherine Legg - Hair and Make Up's post

20/12/2022

Season’s greetings and heartfelt thanks to all our visitors and volunteers. Your support in 2022 has been extraordinary and we hope 2023 will be a good year for everybody.
See you in the New Year!

13/12/2022

The snow was definitely crisp and even this morning when our volunteers arrived for their day’s work! Thank you for braving the elements

10/12/2022

The pump and motors have been fitted and Bazalgette is running! It’s been tested and commissioned - still lots to get done but the RANG team are hopeful it will run for our Sunday Open Day.
Tickets are still available via our website
https://www.crossness.org.uk/visit.html

04/12/2022

Have you ever wondered what sewer is in Italian? Well here is your lucky day. Our trusty Dictionary of Water & Sewage Engineering tells us that it’s ‘fogna’ (pronounced ‘fon-ya’) – note that down for your next holiday to Italy!

04/12/2022

Just one week before our last Open Day of the year - now that is open, it’s easier to visit us - our nearest station is Abbey Wood. For more info and tickets, see our website
crossness.org.uk/visit.html
📷 R.Tovey

03/12/2022

Our article asserts that Londoners took for granted the services which contribute to their "health, happiness and comfort". Thankfully Crossness reminds us how lucky we are to have a sewage system which protects us from the water borne diseases our ancestors had to face.

02/12/2022

To celebrate the opening of Crossness on 4th April 1865, a celebratory banquet was held in the reservoir. Distinguished guests included HRH The Prince of Wales and the Archbishop of Canterbury. Explore Crossness’ history: https://www.crossness.org.uk/collections.html

01/12/2022

For we are reminiscing about the Crossness Beam Engines Preservation Group (the Crossness Engines Trust's predecessor). Here is an extract from its first newsletter, published in Sept 1986. Explore Crossness’ history: https://www.crossness.org.uk/collections.html

30/11/2022

The Explore Your Archive theme today is Bears and we proudly present these two moustache cups from our handling collection. The cups have a moustache shaped insert so gentlemen could enjoy their tea without getting their moustaches wet! Explore Crossness’ history: https://www.crossness.org.uk/collections.html

29/11/2022

A problem faced by the Metropolitan Board of Works was the lack of staff were staying at Crossness. By June 1866 (14 months after Crossness opened) ten men had resigned due to ‘insufficient pay’, or an ‘unwillingness’ to live on site.

28/11/2022

We're taking part in Explore Your Archive: the Archives and Records Association's campaign to encourage everyone, everywhere to visit, use and be inspired by archives. Today's theme is Maps and Plans:
We have 1,400 plans, maps and engineering drawings in our archive. Charting the development of Bazalgette’s London sewer network, they are a key resource for local historians and students. Explore Crossness’ history: https://www.crossness.org.uk/collections.html

19/11/2022

The Timeline | Toilet Timeline Online Exhibition

As today is the United Nations’ , we look at the evolution of toilets over the centuries.
toilet-timeline.org

Discover in this Toilet Timeline online exhibition the 5000-year story of the toilet - from ancient latrines to modern eco-friendly inventions - and explore the future of safe sanitation.

31/10/2022

Just in time for Halloween... a horror from the Crossness Collection.
This mummified rat was found by the Victoria beam engine during its restoration. If you look carefully, you can still see its whiskers.

13/10/2022

We're pleased to confirm that ArtLab! will be exhibiting at our Open Day this Sunday, 16th October. For tickets, please visit our website https://bit.ly/VisitCrossness
📷 S.James

07/10/2022

Sir Joseph Bazalgette - 1870s


28 March 1819 – 15 March 1891

19th-century civil engineer.
As chief engineer of London's Metropolitan Board of Works, his major achievement was the creation (in response to the Great Stink of 1858) of a sewerage system for central which was instrumental in relieving the city from , while beginning to clean the River . He was also the designer of Hammersmith Bridge.

At that time, the River Thames was little more than an open sewer, empty of any fish or other wildlife, and an obvious public health to Londoners.

Bazalgette's solution (similar to a proposal made by painter John Martin 25 years earlier) was to construct a network of 82 miles (132 km) of enclosed underground brick main sewers to intercept sewage outflows, and 1,100 miles (1,800 km) of street sewers, to divert the raw sewage which flowed freely through the streets and thoroughfares of London to the river.

The plan included major pumping stations at Deptford (1864) and at Crossness (1865) on the Erith marshes, both on the south side of the Thames, and at Abbey Mills (in the River Lea valley, 1868) and on the Chelsea Embankment (close to Grosvenor Bridge; 1875), north of the river. The outflows were diverted downstream where they were collected in two large sewage outfall systems on the north and south sides of the Thames, called the Northern and Southern Outfall Sewers. The sewage from the Outfall Sewers was originally collected in balancing tanks in Beckton and Crossness, then dumped, untreated, into the Thames at high tide.

12/09/2022

Given the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the confirmed date for the funeral of 19th September, the Trust has decided that it would be fitting to cancel our Open Day scheduled for the 18th.

03/09/2022

After this tragedy, raw sewage was no longer released into the Thames from Crossness. Instead, the sewage was separated then taken away in sludge boats and disposed of in the North Sea

30/08/2022

THIS EVENT IS NOW CANCELLED - APOLOGIES
We’re now confirmed as taking part in this year. Free entry with tickets in advance via our website
https://www.crossness.org.uk/visit.html
We look forward to seeing you
📷 R. Tovey

12/08/2022

Some of the Crossness volunteers looking for the best spots outside Crossness to photograph the Swedish tall ship Gothëborg as it sailed down the Thames this afternoon. Did anybody get good photos of it?

11/08/2022

Thank you to all those who came to the concert yesterday and a huge thanks to our volunteers who came in to help run this event

09/08/2022

RANG Railway at CROSSNESS ENGINES TRUST

Great news - we’re over halfway to our Crowdfunder target! Many thanks to you all for your support and for sharing our appeal. Please tag anyone you think can help us get to the finish line.
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/rangrailway

Royal Arsenal Narrow Gauge (RANG) railway operates on the historic Crossness Engines site at Abbeywood bringing visitors from the main entrance to the historic 1865 Victorian sewage pumping station which houses the largest rotative beam engines in the world. Visitors are amazed at the magnificent de...

09/08/2022

There are still some tickets left for this concert - what better way to spend a Wednesday evening?

08/08/2022

The hives at Crossness have been checked and the bee keepers were spotted carrying off some precious Crossness Honey for extraction.
Who can tell us how you measure how many bees are in a hive?

08/08/2022

Tickets still available for this and you can catch their interview now on Radio 3

Coming up in just over a month - the next in our Continuo Foundation supported events - and this one is in the most amazing venue, quite a rare event!

We'll be performing our "Sound and Echo" programme in the stunning Octagon at The Crossness Engines Trust on Wednesday 10th of August.

Tickets available from http://www.ticketsource.co.uk/princeregentsBand/sound-and-echo/2022-08-10/19:00/t-xmvejyo and include the concert, a glass of wine/juice on arrival plus the opportunity to visit this stunning and significant building. (Doors open 5pm, concert from 7pm)

03/08/2022

Just one week to go for the opportunity to experience this rare event - including the chance to explore Crossness before the concert

Coming up in just over a month - the next in our Continuo Foundation supported events - and this one is in the most amazing venue, quite a rare event!

We'll be performing our "Sound and Echo" programme in the stunning Octagon at The Crossness Engines Trust on Wednesday 10th of August.

Tickets available from http://www.ticketsource.co.uk/princeregentsBand/sound-and-echo/2022-08-10/19:00/t-xmvejyo and include the concert, a glass of wine/juice on arrival plus the opportunity to visit this stunning and significant building. (Doors open 5pm, concert from 7pm)

19/07/2022

Our fish thief photographed escaping the scene …

11/07/2022

RANG Railway at CROSSNESS ENGINES TRUST

Visitors this year will have seen that our train is out of action - especially frustrating as we'd recently finished restoring the second carriage. To get the loco back on track, we need to raise the princely sum of £10,000 to fund the repair of the hydraulic motors and overhaul the primary pump. Please share this message with your groups and friends and if you can donate anything, that would be so appreciated.

Royal Arsenal Narrow Gauge (RANG) railway operates on the historic Crossness Engines site at Abbeywood bringing visitors from the main entrance to the historic 1865 Victorian sewage pumping station which houses the largest rotative beam engines in the world. Visitors are amazed at the magnificent de...

08/07/2022

Just confirmed, the Prince Regent's Band will be performing at Crossness on Wednesday, 10th August. The performance will start at 7pm but we're opening the doors at 5.00pm so you can explore before the concert. Just follow the link for more information and tickets.

Coming up in just over a month - the next in our Continuo Foundation supported events - and this one is in the most amazing venue, quite a rare event!

We'll be performing our "Sound and Echo" programme in the stunning Octagon at The Crossness Engines Trust on Wednesday 10th of August.

Tickets available from http://www.ticketsource.co.uk/princeregentsBand/sound-and-echo/2022-08-10/19:00/t-xmvejyo and include the concert, a glass of wine/juice on arrival plus the opportunity to visit this stunning and significant building. (Doors open 5pm, concert from 7pm)

01/07/2022

We were so pleased to welcome our MP to Crossness today and share our work with her

23/06/2022

Suspect - Episode 4

Thank you to Steve Patey for spotting Crossness Engines in Channel 4’s new drama “Suspect” (we’ve even made it into the credits)

An old acquaintance may hold vital clues, but new information will come at a cost to Danny

12/06/2022

Idea for next Sunday … leisurely breakfast followed by a stroll along the Thames Path to Crossness Engines for our June Open Day. Please see our website for more information and tickets.
(📷R.Tovey)

https://bit.ly/VisitCrossness

31/05/2022

The robins have taken up residence in the Crossness Fitting Shop again and have hatched four hungry youngsters - we’ll keep you posted on their progress (📷R. Sturt)

23/05/2022

Thank you to everybody who visited us yesterday during our Open Day - as you can see below, our Jubilee bunting was enhanced by special "engineering bunting"!