Crossness Open Day, Abbey Wood, London on Saturday 26 June. Timothy Cox, "I do like to be beside the seaside"- the development of seaside holidays. 'Here's Kent' a site with many resources.

Crossness Engines Trust. Saturday 26 June.

Crossness Engines Trust, The Old Works, Crossness Sewage Treatment Works, Belvedere Road, Abbey Wood, London SE2 9AQ. This is a "steam transport" day where they will have many types of steam engines/vehicles present. North West Kent Family History Society will be present with it's bookstall and volunteers to help with information about Family History for the area.

By the 1850's the water supply in Londond and the Thames was heavily polluted. Cholera was killing thousands each year.  In 1858, Parliament instructed the newly formed Metropolitan Board of Works to remedy this situation. The Engineer of the MBW, Joseph Bazalgette, built miles of new sewers and pumping stations. The one at Abbey Mills, still exists but none of the original pumping plant remains. South of the river there was a pumping station at Deptford, which has essentially disappeared, but the station at Crossness remains relatively untouched except for the ravages of time.

Since 1985 the Crossness pumping station has been undergoing restoration. Tthe Engine House and the engines are being restored to their 1899 condition, (the year in which the engines were upgraded). It is well worth a visit to see how the Victorians solved the problem of sanitation and reduced the annual death rate of London.

Full details can be found at Crossness Pumping Station click on 'Visit' for deatails of the day. 

"I do like to be beside the seaside" - the development of seaside holidays.

18 June 2011 If you are in the Bromley, Kent area NWKFHS Bromley Branch have an interesting talk by Timothy Cox,  "I do like to be beside the seaside" - the development of seaside holidays. As your ancestors started to get some free time and with the Railways enabling them to travel and boats ofering trips from London they started to be able to have day trips and seaside holidays.

Visitors are welcome (a donation is also wlcome). Bromley Methodist Church, College Road, Bromley BR1 3NS. Start 10.30am. More details at NWKFHS Meetings.

Here's History Kent.

Here's History Kent is a site worth looking at if your ancestors and families lived in Kent. It is has a huge resource of archival material, including articles, maps and images, on Kent History. The site has guidance for local historians,  family historians, genealogists and students.

Here's History is a collaboration between County Council and communities in Kent. The project has been coordinated by Ian Coulson and is the culmination of several years work. Not every Kent  town or village is on the site but is is worthwhile looking to see what is here.

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