Steam Up! 150 year anniversary of the British Engineerium

The British Engineerium Museum Steam Up Tours – 150 Year Anniversary! Anne Ackord, the Trustee of the British Engineerium talks to Latest TV about the special anniversary date for Brighton & Hove’s historic Water Pumping Station built in 1866.

The 150th Anniversary weekend is: Saturday October 24 (during the day) and Sunday October 25 (morning only). Tickets are available on Eventbrite – via the website www.thebritishengineerium.com

Tickets are: £14.00 each – which includes a guided tour around the engine rooms and the museum exhibits (Families welcome; suitable for children over 8 years old). Private Group Tours for 25 people are also available – prebookable through the office on Friday 23rd October

The British Engineerium was originally known as the Goldstone Pumping Station pumping station for Brighton and Hove. It was built to cope with the population explosion in Brighton and Hove. It supplied water to the reservoirs which kept the clean water flowing through the pipes to households. In its heyday it was capable of lifting 130000 gallons of water per hour to mean height of 250’. The station operated at this level until 1934 when it was reequipped with 4 new boilers. In the late 1940’s the change over to pumping by electricity was well advanced and submersible pumps had been installed in the well under No.1 Engine, which became disused from that time, and ias partially dismantled. No. 2 Engine was in use until 1952, kept on standby until 1954 and then it and the boiler house became Redundant. In 1971 it was proposed to pull the station down and scrap the equipment as soon as the new small all electric pumphouse was built. The DOE placed a preservation order on the buildings in 1972, and in 1974 a lease was granted to Jonathan Minns to enable him to found the Engineerium with the cooperation of the Southern Water Authority

If you want to learn the full of history and see the incredible architecture – the engine rooms and boilers will be ‘Steamed up’ and in action for enthusiasts and families alike.