The Great Stink of 1858

For centuries, the Thames was used as an open sewer.  

The heatwave in the summer of 1858, exacerbated the smells from the river that even Queen Victoria with her nose posy,  could not tolerate it. And then there were the diseases that the open sewers spread. Something had to be done.

This talk will cover the work of Sir Joseph Bazalgette who built  the sewers, that we still use today in London, and the beautiful Victorian architecture used to house the sewage works at Crossness Pumping Station in Abbey Wood, designed by Charles Henry Driver and often referred to as ‘The Cathedral on the Marsh’

The talk will be given by Rob Harris who oversees the public programmed at Crossness Pumping Station at Abbey Wood, exploring how 19th century engineering saved lives and shaped the London we live in today