Eastney Engine Houses

About the museum

The Eastney engine houses were built between 1865 and 1904 to pump the sewage of Victorian Portsmouth. A gravity system carried waste across Portsea Island to Eastney, where it was stored in tanks at nearby Fort Cumberland and pumped out to sea on the outgoing tide. The Beam Engine House, with its boilers and chimney, was switched on by the Mayor of Portsmouth on 9 May 1887.

As the population grew, more pumping power was needed, and in 1904 the Gas Engine House was added. It was designed to cope with at least six times the normal flow and originally held three 180 horsepower gas engines, each driving a 24-inch centrifugal pump; two of them survive. The steam engines were kept as a back-up and were retired in 1954, when the gas engines also stopped working.

In 1968 the site passed to Portsmouth Museums. The gas engines were converted to run on North Sea gas in 1971, and in 1972, after extensive restoration, the Beam Engine House opened to the public as an industrial museum. Visitors see a pair of Boulton and Watt beam engines restored to their 1887 condition, the boilers and smaller local pumps. At present the engines are not in steam and access is limited to occasional open days.

Highlights

• Pair of Boulton and Watt beam engines restored to 1887 condition
• Boilers that once raised steam for the engines
• Two surviving 180 horsepower gas engines in the Gas Engine House
• Cast-iron building with an overhead crane used to lift the beams

Permanent exhibitions

• Beam Engine House – A pair of Boulton and Watt beam engines and pumps restored to their original 1887 condition, with boilers and small pumps on the mezzanine.
• Gas Engine House – Two of the original three 180 horsepower gas engines, each driving a 24-inch centrifugal pump.

Founded

1972

Operated by

Portsmouth City Council (Portsmouth Museums)

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Free entry.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: not available
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The Gas Engine House is reached down ten steps with handrails on both sides. The Beam Engine House has level access to the lower area by the boilers, but the space is narrow and may not suit larger wheelchairs or mobility scooters; the rest of the building is reached by very steep steps and grated steps. Surfaces are uneven. One toilet is available on request but is not fully accessible; the nearest accessible toilets are on the Eastney seafront, about 400 metres away. There is no hearing loop. Only guide, hearing and assistance dogs with tabards are allowed inside. When the engines run it is very loud and hot.

Kids & families

Children under 13 must be accompanied by an adult. The museum service runs occasional sessions for children under five at its different sites.

Getting there & parking

By car, follow signs for central Southsea and the seafront, take the A288 (Milton Road and Eastney Road) and turn left onto Bransbury Road; the engine houses are on the left after 0.4 miles. What3words: hurray.linked.space. Parking is not described on the website.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Corporate events

The engine houses can be hired for events, launches and meetings. Indicative charges for 2024/25 were £796 for a day on Monday to Thursday and £1,191 on Friday to Sunday (10:00 to 17:00), excluding VAT; evenings cost more. Hire enquiries: +44 23 9283 4737.

Plan your visit