Steam power

The tall building above you is the Engine House. It’s actually two engine houses in one. The first was designed by engineer John Smeaton in 1768. In the 1840s, architect William Chadwell Mylne designed an extension for bigger and more powerful steam engines. The older building is still inside the newer one.

The steam engines pumped water until the 1950s. When they were removed, new electric pumps were installed in this building. They are still working today. You might be able to hear fans keeping the pumps cool, or water rushing underground.