Feeling a bit parched this summer? Imagine how you’d feel after working on a Victorian sewer!
This glass bottle fragment was discovered at Crossness Pumping Station during renovations. From the clues stamped on the glass, we know it’s R. White’s Lemonade, the famous British drinks brand founded in 1845 in Camberwell, South London by Robert White and his wife Mary. Using a one horse one cart operation, the couple started by selling ginger beer, then expanding to a range of soft drinks After rapid success, R. White’s grew into several factories across South London. The headquarters were located on Neate Street, which is now where Burgess Park stands. The company is still making its famous lemonade today.
An unnamed worker during the construction of Crossness Pumping Station, 1860s.
It’s easy to imagine a worker at Crossness enjoying a sip from this bottle while having a break. In 1893, the pumping station employed 107 people doing everything from engineers, flushers, oilers, and of course, a handyman! Amazing to think any one of those folks could’ve drank from that bottle – today, a little part of them remains here with us at Crossness.
Employee residential housing at Crossness Pumping Station.
While we don’t know exactly where on site the bottle was found, it’s possible that it could have come from an employee’s lunch or perhaps a pantry at one of the residential homes located at Crossness. Shortly after opening in 1865, 21 homes were built for workers and their families to live in, creating a small village around the pumping station. The green common was located above the reservoir and was a favourite site for picnics and cricket matches.
If you want to learn more about Victorian drinking habits, Laura French will present her talk ‘Drinking with the Victorians’ on the 11th and 12th of July 2026 for the Beers, Beams, and Brass Festival at Crossness Pumping Station. Buy your tickets here.