Kirkaldy Testing Museum
A small Grade II* listed museum in a former Victorian materials-testing works, built around David Kirkaldy's enormous 1866 hydraulic testing machine used to test the strength of metals and building materials.
- Hidden gem
- Price: £ · Budget
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Did you know
Kirkaldy built the works after a dispute over the quality of iron used in a bridge collapse convinced him London needed an independent testing house, and he had the phrase 'Facts Not Opinions' carved above the original entrance as the business's motto.
Local tip
It's only open on the first Sunday of each month, so check the date before planning a special trip, as there's no regular walk-in access the rest of the time.
Finding it
- Address
- 99, Southwark Street, Bankside, Southwark, London Borough of Southwark, Greater London, England, SE1 0JF
- Nearest station
- Southwark (Tube), 356 m away
Details change, so check with the place before you set off.
More places nearby
- Bankside Sandwich BarA family run sandwich counter near Tate Modern serving made to order rolls and full English breakfasts to the local office crowd.
- Tate ModernA free gallery of international modern and contemporary art, housed in a former power station on the south bank of the Thames.
- Shakespeare's GlobeA reconstruction of the open-air Elizabethan playhouse where Shakespeare's company performed, standing near the site of the original theatre on Bankside.
- Uber Boat by Thames ClippersA fast, scheduled river bus along the Thames that doubles as a genuine sightseeing trip, running to 24 piers between Putney and Woolwich.