This page was written in 2000 as a brief introduction to the museum. In 2003 a fuller site was produced at www.thepumphouse.org.uk and you should look there.

The Pumphouse Educational Museum incorporates Lavender Pond and Nature Park, the Rotherhithe Heritage Museum (the only one in Rotherhithe!) and an environmental study centre.

Prior to the Pumphouse being built in 1929 this was the entrance to the Surrey Commercial Docks and the Pumphouse was built to regulate the water level in the docks and allow ships to sail at low tide.  On Rotherhithe Street at Lavender Road stands the Lavender Dock Pump House since re-named the Pumphouse Educational Museum, and now on three floors:

1. The Rotherhithe Heritage Museum tells the story of Rotherhithe and its people through the artefacts found on the foreshore of the Thames by local man Ron Goode. These date from Roman times to the present day. Other items include Peek Frean memorabilia and the 6 foot replica of Queen Elizabeth's wedding cake. Peek Frean closed in 1970 and many people in Bermondsey and Rotherhithe worked in the factory. The Pumphouse has a copy of the 1906 silent film made of the work in the factory.A collection of Dockers' tools and clay pipes are displayed in the museum.
2. The first floor has a permanent hands on exhibition of artefacts from the victorian era displayed with their modern contemporaries. Used by children to learn about the past and by visitors simply to recall those childhood memories, the exhibition allows different generations to recall and compare everyday objects. A blitz room is another permanent display to show life during the war years in Rotherhithe. The temporary display at the moment until Christmas is 'The 1950's' complete with authentic jukebox playing original records from the 50's.
3. The Queen's wedding cake, classroom facilities for schools, a small library and a place to have a cup of tea! Exit to the nature park and tranquil pond, resident pair of swans, visiting herons, tufted ducks and mallards etc.    

The Pumphouse provides 4 services:

• An education service to mainstream and SEN schools who attend for a day on four days of the week.
• A Reminiscence and Communication outreach service to residential homes for older people, sheltered accomodation and day care centres.
• An Eco Watch club for local community children.
• A local Heritage Museum.

It is open Monday to Friday 9.30 - 3.30, although the staff are often on site for groups or desperate visitors until 5!

For more information contact Caroline Marais, the Head of Centre    

This page was written as part of the community pages for Rotherhithe and Surrey Docks, London SE16