Kempton Park Waterworks, Snakey Lane, TW13 6XH

 

• Guest driver experience

• Filming

• Marketing, meetings and presentations

 

NB:  Not licenced to hold wedding ceremonies

 

The waterworks at Kempton started life in 1897 as the New River Company, with two holding reservoirs supplying 12 slow sand filter beds. Five Lilleshall triple-expansion steam engines were installed – two to lift water from the Thames to the reservoirs and three to pump it on to Cricklewood. The steam was supplied by six hand-fired Lancashire boilers. In 1915, a narrow-gauge railway was constructed to bring coal for the boilers up from the river at Hampton click here. 

 

By 1904, the New River Company had been incorporated into the Metropolitan Water Board along with seven other water companies and, in 1929, the MWB applied to the College of Arms for the coat of arms displayed on the far wall of the engine house as you enter the building.

 

After building closed in 1980, English Heritage declared it a National Monument and, along with its contents, was listed Grade II. In 1995, the Kempton Great Engines Trust was formed with the aim of restoring and maintaining this magnificent piece of steam heritage for posterity.

 

An army of volunteers spent the following six years and 100,000 man hours restoring Triple No.6 before HRH The Prince of Wales was invited to restart it in 2002. A further two years were then spent preparing the building for the public opening and the first steaming weekend took place in October 2004.