British Engineerium
Of the various Victorian and Edwardian pumping stations that once provided water to Brighton & Hove, the British Engineerium on Nevill Road, Hove, is the only remaining example. Now that the whole country is short of water, it seems a particularly appropriate time to look into its colourful past including its recent dramatic rescue by Stanmer House’s Mike Holland.
Fears of demolition subsided in 1971 when the various elements of the site were Grade II and II* Listed. Jonathan Minns and his team turned the buildings into a museum which opened in 1976 as the Brighton & Hove Engineerium but became the British Engineerium in 1981. Today, it houses 500 pieces and is one of the finest collections of its kind. Its prize exhibit is Stephenson’s model of Locomotive 1 – a replica of Britain’s first train known as the "Iron House". Number 2 Engine is still operational and the sight of its monstrous gleaming wheel spinning on full-steam in the ‘health and safety’ gone-mad world of today is truly something special.
Following the purchase of the Clifton Hill Coach House by Roger Amerena and his Montpelier mates, this is a second smashing victory for local conservationists in as many months.
