AIM members Walthamstow Pumphouse Museum and Markfield Beam Engine and Museum are pleased to announce their merger under a new umbrella organisation, the Heritage and Communities Trust. The merger brings together two of Greater London’s well-known industrial heritage sites.
Both museums will retain their individual names and distinct identities while benefiting from shared resources, expertise, and a unified governance structure. This strategic partnership creates the largest dedicated industrial heritage charity within Greater London in terms of public benefit and multi-site operation.
The merger builds upon years of collaboration between the two Victorian-era sewage pumping stations, which are located approximately 45 minutes apart on foot along the River Lea. Both museums will continue to offer free entry to visitors, maintaining their commitment to accessibility and community engagement.
“By joining forces, we’re creating a stronger, more resilient organisation that can better preserve and celebrate our shared industrial heritage. Our visitors will benefit from enhanced programming, improved facilities, and a more comprehensive understanding of London’s industrial past.”
Abdullah Seba, Chief Executive, the Heritage and Communities Trust
In the coming months, Markfield Beam Engine will see improvements to visitor offerings, with plans to introduce more family-friendly activities on non-steam days and, in the medium term, new interactive exhibits. The museum also plans to enhance volunteer amenities and increase opening hours to attract more visitors beyond its current annual footfall of 2,000 people.
Walthamstow Pumphouse Museum, which welcomes 17,000 visitors annually, will benefit from Markfield’s engineering expertise, particularly in understanding the historic engines that are central to both museums’ collections.
The newly formed Heritage and Communities Trust will oversee both museums as well as two attractions at the Walthamstow Pumphouse Museum: The Tool House (a community maker space) and Supperclub.tube (a pop-up dining experience in a decommissioned Victoria Line carriage), with plans for further growth in the future.
The Board of Trustees for the Heritage and Communities Trust includes representatives from both original museums to ensure continuity and balanced governance.
Both museums will remain free to enter, continuing their position as the only free-entry industrial heritage museums in Greater London.
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