The Pumphouse
The Pumphouse is at the heart of the museum and wasn't always a museum. For decades, it was a pumping station for Walthamstow's sewage network and still houses the original steam engines from the Victorian era. Visit for fun activities and to learn about sewage, pumps, engines and the history of Walthamstow's public health!
Built in 1885, the Pumphouse is a Grade II listed building housing the museum's collection of engines and pumps. Chief among these is a working pair of original Marshall steam engines which are also Grade II listed. The engines are run once a month along with a selection of smaller stationary engines. The Pumphouse is also home to our model railway in what used to be the boiler house.
Early 20th Century Workshop
A full-size working example of an early 20th-century workshop has been created in the Pumphouse and demonstrates how early workshop and production lines ran off a line shaft which in turn is driven by a steam engine.
