"It was created to deal with one of the most disgusting episodes of London’s history: The ‘Great Stink’ of 1858.
But Crossness Pumping Station itself is a thing of beauty, hidden among the capital’s streets.
The Victorian building is so stunning it has been dubbed the ‘Cistern Chapel’, and it has just opened to the public as a museum.
Back in the 19th century, it was built in a desperate attempt to cure the 1958 ‘Great Stink’ – when warm weather and filthy drinking water created a horrible smell across most of London and led to typhoid and cholera epidemics.
The stench from the Thames itself, which many believed to cause the diseases, plagued the City continuously. It was so bad, that high-ranking government officials were forced to soak their parliamentary curtains in lime chloride, to mask the odour."
Full article with more photos
Who wants to go to this museum?
But Crossness Pumping Station itself is a thing of beauty, hidden among the capital’s streets.
The Victorian building is so stunning it has been dubbed the ‘Cistern Chapel’, and it has just opened to the public as a museum.
Back in the 19th century, it was built in a desperate attempt to cure the 1958 ‘Great Stink’ – when warm weather and filthy drinking water created a horrible smell across most of London and led to typhoid and cholera epidemics.
The stench from the Thames itself, which many believed to cause the diseases, plagued the City continuously. It was so bad, that high-ranking government officials were forced to soak their parliamentary curtains in lime chloride, to mask the odour."
Full article with more photos
Who wants to go to this museum?
