Kempton Steam Museum

About the museum

The Kempton Park site was bought by the New River Company in 1897 to build a pumping station, reservoirs and filters supplying drinking water to London. Two large triple-expansion steam engines were ordered in 1924 from Worthington Simpson of Newark, building work on the new pumping station began in 1926, and the complex was completed in 1929. The engines were named the Sir William Prescott and Lady Prescott engines that December. Two Fraser & Chalmers steam turbines were added in 1933.

The engines pumped water until electric pumps took over in 1980, and the steam boilers were scrapped in 1993. The Kempton Great Engines Trust was set up in 1995 and, in 1997, signed a 99-year lease with Thames Water to look after the engine house and its machinery.

Today the museum is run by volunteers inside the Grade II* listed engine house, which sits on a working Thames Water site. The Sir William Prescott Engine stands about as high as four stacked double-decker buses, and its twin, the Lady Bessie Prescott Engine, is being restored. The building has long been used as a film location, including the exterior shots of the sweet factory in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and several productions about the Titanic.

Highlights

• Sir William Prescott Engine, a 1920s triple-expansion pumping engine run in steam on open weekends
• Lady Bessie Prescott Engine, the twin engine, under restoration by volunteers
• Two 1930s steam turbines, one motorised to show how the pump works
• Mercury arc rectifiers powering vintage electrical equipment
• Guided tours of the static engine on steaming weekends
• Hampton & Kempton Waterworks Railway alongside the museum (separate operator and ticket)

Permanent exhibitions

• Sir William Prescott Engine – A triple-expansion pumping engine from the late 1920s, about 62 feet long, that pumped London's drinking water until 1980 and is run in steam on steaming weekends.
• Steam turbines and mercury arc rectifiers – Two Fraser & Chalmers steam turbines, one motorised to demonstrate how a turbine and centrifugal pump work, and rare mercury arc rectifiers powering vintage electrical equipment.

Founded

1995

Operated by

Kempton Great Engines Trust (registered charity)

Admission & discounts

The adult price of £12 applies on steaming weekends. Special events may have different prices. Supporters of the Kempton Great Engines Trust are admitted free. A free guidebook is included. Tickets are sold online and advance booking is recommended for steaming weekends. The Hampton & Kempton Waterworks Railway is run by a separate organisation and needs its own ticket.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

A lift gives step-free access from the ground floor to the main engine floor, where the whole engine can be seen, and the main route round the engine floor is level. There is an accessible toilet on the ground floor by the car park, free accessible parking bays next to the entrance, and seating around the museum. Surfaces and kerbs in the car park and outside are uneven. Engine tours use steep original staircases and raised walkways, and participants must be at least 1.4 m tall. Sensory-Friendly Sundays offer reduced noise and lighting, fewer visitors and borrowable ear defenders.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

Under 18s are admitted free. The museum is an industrial setting with moving machinery, steep stairs and hard floors, and children must be supervised at all times. Engine tours need a minimum height of 1.4 m. Sensory-Friendly Sundays are aimed at neurodivergent visitors and families.

Getting there & parking

Easiest to reach by car via the A316 Great Chertsey Road and the M3. The museum lies outside the London Congestion Charge and ULEZ, but the boundary is close, so check before driving a non-compliant vehicle. What3words: vehicle entrance pasta.sings.plot, pedestrian entrance quick.note.clips.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

On steaming weekends a cafe serves hot and cold drinks, sandwiches and cakes, and a gift shop sells books, posters and toys. On static viewing Sundays refreshments are limited and the cafe and shop are not generally open.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

The engine house is offered as a location for film, television, commercials, music videos and photoshoots.

Plan your visit