Hire Crossness Pumping Station

Ways to hire

People know Crossness for the beam engines and the painted ironwork. Those same interiors can be hired on days when the museum is closed, so you have the buildings to yourselves.

Most enquiries are for filming or a private photography session. We also hear from people who want a talk, a meeting or an occasional performance. The hire fee goes towards looking after the engines.

If you would rather bring a club or a work group for a tour, see Group or Private Tours.

Filming and commercial photography

The Beam Engine House gives you two looks in one building. The restored side is painted iron and the bright Octagon around Prince Consort. A few steps away, Albert Edward and Alexandra stand much as they were left, rust and original paint still on the metal. Productions use both.

Parking and kit storage sit next to the house, so crew and cast can base themselves on site.

This year Crossness appeared in the 2026 series of The Apprentice. Other productions here include the BBC’s Neverwhere, Sherlock Holmes, Victor Frankenstein, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, The Crimson Petal and the White and the GamesMaster revival.

What to expect

The works sit inside Thames Water, so we need a vehicle and people list at least 12 hours before you arrive. Access is through full-height doors, with parking beside the building.

You can draw 63A three-phase or 32A single-phase power. The presentation suite works as a green room or a production office.

The house is Grade I listed. Free-standing lights and clamps on the beams are fine. We ask for public liability cover of £5 million and employer’s liability of £10 million.

If this feels like the right place, tell us when you would like to come and how many people you expect. We will check the diary and send a quote.

Talks, meetings and events

You can hold a talk or conference in the Beam Engine House, with chairs among the engines and the painted ironwork still in view.

We can also set the Boiler House for a larger audience, under iron trusses and brick arches, with the Great Stink displays around you. Smaller meetings use the Sir Joseph Bazalgette Room, which has a projector and sound. Tea, coffee and food are in the café.

Spaces

The Beam Engine House is the one people come to see: four engines, galleries and daylight through the high windows.

The Boiler House is the long hall next door. The Sir Joseph Bazalgette Room is the small meeting room, with a projector and sound.