Crofton Beam Engines

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Visit Crofton Beam Engines on the Kennet and Avon Canal as part of your adventure along the Great West Way.

Crofton Pumping Station was built in 1807-9 to supply water to the highest point of the Kennet & Avon canal which links London and Bristol. It is a rare survivor of the technology which enabled British engineers to drain mines and supply towns and cities with water throughout the world, and has recently undergone Heritage Lottery Fund supported conservation and visitor facility improvement work. Rebuilt and modernised several times during its long working life, one of the two original engines survives and ran until 1958 despite the canal becoming derelict after WWII, as water was still needed for farm and railway locomotive supply.

The survival and subsequent restoration of the canal is one of the triumphs of the Volunteer Preservation movement, spearheaded by the Kennet & Avon Canal Trust. The Trust bought the redundant pumping station for preservation in 1968, at a time when England's Industrial Heritage was fast disappearing, and by 1971 both engines had been restored to full working order. Since then they have been regularly demonstrated to the public at Crofton Beam Engines on certain weekends during the summer months by enthusiastic volunteers. Crofton Beam Engines can also be visited in static mode six days per week in the summer season.

Entry to the grounds at Crofton Beam Engines is free. Entry to the Engine House of £4.50 for adults, and free for children under 16. Find out more.