Hidden London

SECRET SPOTS YOU SIMPLY HAVE TO DISCOVER

- MARTIN ROBINSON

London's 'Cathedral of Sewage'

Bazalgette Way, SE2

London is full of crap. So says anyone up North, and anyone who's been to Chiltern Firehouse. There is some undeniable truth in this though, in the most corporeal sense, since the sheer numbers in the capital means a lot of waste is produced.

Thankfully we have a sewage system in play that takes away all the filth from our homes, out of our streets, through huge pipes and out to sewage plants that treat, destroy and rid the city of all effluence - so we can continue to live as if we are pure, clean, tasteful, elevated, shaved and manicured humans way above the animal world, and not the disgusting creatures that we are.

Isn't it about time our sewage systems had a bit more respect for this service they give us? One way of doing that is to visit the Crossness Pumping Station near Abbey Wood, which is a spectacular Grade I listed building that was called "The Cathedral on the Marshes". While it is situated on one corner of the vast Crossness Sewage Treatment Works, and is the property of Thames Water, it is leased out to the Crossness Engines Trust, a charity which operates completely independently from Thames Water.

Its volunteers have been working for more than 30 years to restore and preserve the building and its huge, unique engines.

Now, it's a bit of a pain to get to. Wise folk will get an Uber from Abbey Wood station to the plant or the old Routemaster that runs on open days. Idiots like me take the 30-minute walk.

Once you arrive at the works though, there's a cute little train-lovingly restored - that takes you off down the side to the old pumping station itself, which is only open on certain days to the public, and must be pre-booked.