Geograph - photograph every grid square

This shows two former steam pumping stations on this very extensive site. Trees now obscure the second range of building from this site. In 1852 the First Metropolis Water Act was passed, forbidding the abstraction of fresh (!) water from the tidal River Thames. This provided the impetus for development of waterworks at Hampton and by 1855 the Southwark& Vauxhall, the Grand Junction and the West Middlesex water companies had all established works here. In 1903 the Metropolitan Water Board was formed and assumed responsibility for all the Hampton works. Control passed to Thames Water Authority in 1973.