Cambridge Museum of Technology
Steam engines and the industries of Cambridge in a Victorian sewage pumping station on the river.
The Cambridge Museum of Technology occupies the old Cheddars Lane pumping station by the River Cam. The original building is a scheduled monument, and the museum describes itself as the home of the city's industrial heritage.
The pumping station
The station opened in 1894 as a combined sewage pumping station and refuse destructor. Household rubbish collected around the city was burnt to raise steam, which powered engines that pumped sewage to a farm at Milton, some two and a quarter miles off, where it was used on crops. Two Hathorn Davey steam engines are the main attractions, and one of them is in full working order, regularly steamed on special weekends. They lifted sewage around 43 feet, designed for 250,000 gallons an hour, and worked until 1968. The destructor furnaces survive and are described as the only near-complete examples. Later additions include gas engines of 1909, a boiler of 1923 and an electric pump of 1937. The chimney stands 175 feet high.
Collections
Beyond the engines there is a working steam winch hauling a narrow-gauge incline railway, a print room with a Linotype machine and a large collection of electrical apparatus. Exhibits on Cambridge's lesser-known industries share the site with displays on the early high-tech companies of the town, including a collection devoted to Pye.
Practical notes
The museum is open Friday to Sunday, 10:30 to 16:00, and is dog friendly. It has riverside green space suitable for picnics and runs family activities. Steam days vary, so look at the events listing on the museum's website before travelling.
