London Museum of Water & Steam

This is a lovely little museum, privately run (And thus, not free of charge). If you’re AT ALL interested in large-​scale steam engines — and, frankly, which small or large boy isn’t — you should visit this place located in Brentford, London — close to the Richmond river banks of the Thames. The location enables you to catch two interesting museums — this one, and the close-​by Musical Instruments Museum (see my review) — and later take a stroll by the banks of the river and enjoy the small pubs and restaurants. Kew Bridge rail station is near, but you can also go by bus from South Ealing station.
Opening times are: Mon — Fri 11:00 — 16:00 and Sat & Sun 11:00 — 16:00.
The Museum of Water and Steam manages to squeeze a lot of intriguing exhibits into a rather smallish building (see my photos). There’s also a lot of information tables to read while you’re exploring the museum. This place is great, of course, for families. A small shop and café are included, naturally. The building used to be the old Kew Bridge Pumping Station, which dates back to 1838. The present museum was opened in 1975.
In 1997 the Museum was awarded an Engineering Heritage Award by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and Britain’s Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE). A second IMechE Engineering Hallmark was awarded in 2008 for the restoration of the Bull engine, making the Museum one of only 12 sites to achieve more than one of these awards.
There are demonstrations of the largest steam engines for the small fry, and some entertaining accompanying info «performances». Check the hours.
Expect to spend around 1 – 1.5 hours at this place, and about the same amount of time at the Musical Instruments Museum, if you’re visiting both. That, and a visit to some small café on the Thanmes banks, and half a day of your London time will have been spent usefully. Suffice to say that both these places are «hidden gems,» so don’t expect queues or crowds. You can even hire these premises for weddings or birthdays.
Private, non-​flash photography is allowed.