Waterworks Museum, Hereford

The Waterworks Museum bills itself as a 'Celebration of water engineering', tracing the story of drinking water through time. The museum is housed in a historic Victorian water pumping station which served as Hereford's main water supply station for well over a century. The museum has displays covering the history of drinking water from the earliest prehistoric times through to today.

See the largest range of working pump engines in Britain, and the oldest functional triple-expansion steam engine in the country, plus audio-visual displays that help bring the story of water to life. Exhibits include beam engines, steam engines, and gas engines.

See horse-drawn water carts, hot air engines, overshot water wheels, Pelton wheels, fire hydrants, water softeners, chlorinator machines, and a huge display of different types of water pumps.

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One special exhibit is Tangye House, which was the main pumping station for Leominster. The house, which dates to 1865, was rescued from demolition, disassembled, and rebuilt here on the museum site.

The triple expansion engine is well worth seeing; it stands two storeys high and has a capacity of one million gallons per day. It was used to supply Hereford with fresh drinking water from 1895-1952.

Getting There

The Waterworks Museum is a 20-minute walk from the city centre. From the west front of the cathedral take King Street to St Nicholas Street. Cross over Victoria Street (the A49) and follow Barton Road west. The road will split at the junction of Breinton Road and Broomy Hill. Take the left fork (Broomy Hill) and you will see a lane to your left leading down to the museum. The route is well signposted with brown tourist signs. There is also plentiful parking if you'd rather drive.