Improvements To The Landscape and Buildings

As part of the improvements to the Museum we want to concentrate on the visual appearance of the exterior parts of the site, carrying out remedial, repair and maintenance works so that the waterworks heritage is maximised and becomes more appealing to our visitors, of whom many hire the premises for special events, helping to bring in much needed income. Much of the work proposed will help reduce the maintenance load for volunteers and staff alike.

Several areas of improvements are shown. First a new entrance gateway from Green Dragon Lane with new access gates and a designated pedestrian entrance. From here a new 'pathway' will take the visitor clearly to the main entrance to the Museum. A range of sculptural and heritage pieces help illustrate the Museum's collections and are displayed in key locations to provide dramatic backdrops.

Existing brick pavings, stone setts and other areas of hardstanding will receive much needed repair and replacement to give a better surface. The car parking area will also be re organised to make more efficient use of the space. An area around the Museum entrance alongside the buildings will be given over to an al fresco seating area as part of the new cafe proposal.

The Museum hopes to take over the lawn area fronting the Kew Bridge Road. The area surrounding the waterwheel will have a hardstanding area built in and the whole front of the site encompassing the Tower, 90 & 100" Engine Houses, Boulton & Watt Houses, up to the South Eastern entrance will be repaved in a more suitable surface, which can accept more easily temporary marquees for special events and is more acceptable to pedestrians and wheelchairs

We hope to include a new 'high tensile' canopy between the 90" Corridor and the Economiser House to provide a covered 'walkway' for specialist groups such as schools and guided tour visitors. Some landscaping works are also planned to our garden areas to further improve these popular features and improve access to our 'old workshop' and 'forge' buildings.

Finally we want to provide improved interpretation to all the outside areas to show the site's history and features in detail.