Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
Beneath London’s streets lies a vast hidden network. Around 2,000 kilometres of brick-lined tunnels carrying raw sewage from our homes, connected by a further 130 kilometres of main sewers large enough to rival railway tunnels.
Much of this extraordinary system was constructed in the mid-nineteenth century and featured impressive, cathedral-like pumping stations.
The Grade I listed Crossness Pumping Station is a sight to behold. Designed by Sir Joseph Bazalgette and completed in 1865, it is a triumph of Victorian engineering, covered with elaborate ironwork more commonly associated with cathedrals.
Beneath London’s streets lies a vast hidden network. Around 2,000 kilometres of brick-lined tunnels carrying raw sewage from our homes, connected by a further 130 kilometres of main sewers large enough to rival railway tunnels.
Much of this extraordinary system was constructed in the mid-nineteenth century and featured impressive, cathedral-like pumping stations.
The Grade I listed Crossness Pumping Station is a sight to behold. Designed by Sir Joseph Bazalgette and completed in 1865, it is a triumph of Victorian engineering, covered with elaborate ironwork more commonly associated with cathedrals.
