V. A Victorian riverside pumping station, close to the north end of Kew Bridge, is now home to this museum of water supply. The Water for Life exhibition details the history of London's use and abuse of the world's most precious commodity and includes a unique walk-through sewer experience. Like the working waterwheel and five other steam engines, it has been restored by enthusiastic volunteers to its former working order. Run on a voluntary basis, the museum can only open from April to October due to heating problems, but there are plans to expand the facilities in a new, purpose-built premises in the near future. Closed Nov-Mar 13.
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Once a wealthy monastery, Syon was established by Henry V and used by Henry VIII as a prison for his wife Katherine Howard while she awaited execution. Home of the Percy family since the 1590s, Robert Adam remodelled the interior in 1761, creating one of the most lavish and splendid interiors in London. Among the many paintings on display are works by Lely, Gainsborough, Reynolds and Van Dyck. The riverside gardens, modelled by 'Capability' Brown, now contain an impressive 19th-century conservatory, a miniature steam train, a garden centre, the London Butterfly House and the Aquatic Experience, featuring fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds and small mammals in their natural habitats. All rights reserved.