Key Details

Overview

The Pump House is a building in Canada Water, London SE16.

The structure was originally built in 1902 by the London Hydraulic Power Company, which was established to manage a network of hydraulic water power that was exclusively for the homes and businesses of London. At its peak, it managed 180 miles of pipes supplying power for the majority of the city.



One of the first Victorian London pump houses, the Pump House had state-of-the art engineering, with immense iron beams, a majestic engine room with lofty arched windows right along the roof and oculi in the ends, plus a glorious octagonal chimney. All of which are still present and preserved today.

London Hydraulic Power Company was founded by Edward Bayzard Ellington and had similar pumping stations in Blackfriars, Wapping and Clerkenwell. These supplied 1.65 million gallons of pressurised water a year powering docks, train yards, hotels, offices, and public buildings. The company closed after a decline resulting from competition from the electricity industry. The LHP Company operated until 1977 when the pipe network was sold to Mercury Communications to be used for telecoms.

References:
1. London's Lost Power Stations and Gasworks By Ben Pedroche; 2013.