The Brunel Museum

Museum was cool but definitely go on the walking tour/​boat tour/​tour of the entrance hall. That was one of the best experiences I had in London.

Not often that I wander around a musuem and think … «wow I really should have just read the wiki page»
If on the other hand you have never visited a charming but woeful provincial museum this will prepare you for the experience. Although that is a bit harsh on the biscuit museum in Reading.

I came here not for the museum, but for the Midnight Apothecary, which was a late-​night cocktails and eats event on top of their rooftop garden.
And it was just as peaceful and awesome as it sounds.
Now, for those of you in the unknown, The Brunel Museum is a celebration of modern engineering. It s located on and in the Thames Tunel, which is the oldest tunnel in the oldest metro system in the World. This is the birthplace of mass urban transport.
Named for Isambard Kingdom Brunel, this was his first project at 19. He worked on it with his father, Sir Marc Brunel and created the first tunnel under a river anywhere in the world.
Now, as far as I can see it, this is less a museum and more a really big historic marker — a giant space with some plaques, some space to walk around, and the giant tunnels that you can go into on special occasions. They also have a gift shop and a café.
The Brunel Museum knows its limitations as a musuem though and plans a ton of events to show off what it does. Art events, music events, and yes, late night drinking events (with cocktails made from the herbs it grows in the gardens above the tunnels.) How can you not like any of that.
It might not be a spot to just come by for, but it’s certainly a spot to check out while there for something fun.

I am ashamed to admit that I never visited the Brunel Museum the whole time I lived in Rotherhithe (2 years!)…although my mum told me it is brilliant, and I do love the idea of heading underground to see the Grand Entrance Hall to the abandoned tunnel!
The Midnight Apothecary:
This summer as well as the museum, on Saturdays nights there is a cocktail bar set up in the beautiful herb garden on the roof of the Thames tunnel. The ‘cocktail gardener,’ Lottie Muir, uses herbs (and other ingredients) from the garden to make beautiful (and strong) cocktails each Saturday night during the summer. We tried the gin and lavender fizz, and the strawberry and mint martini… they were both lovely. I honestly can’t think of a more pleasant spot to watch the sunset.
* Cash only! Each cocktail is £5…so remember to stock up on paper money!
* The garden is quite small, so you might need to get there early if you have a large group.
* If cocktails aren’t enough, there are also underground tours of the museum/​tunnel starting at 7:30pm. I think this costs £5.
The website says it will keep going through September, so there are a few more weeks left to try it. If you live in the area — get over there!

The museum tells a fascinating story of, mainly, the Thames Tunnel that is still in use for trains. It has some excellent models that explain the tunnel building very well. It is however very small. There is a nice café where prices are very reasonable.

What a find. If your interested in engineering or Victorian industrialisation you’ll find lots to occupy you in this tiny museum. Run mainly by dedicated, helpful and informative volunteers, the Engine House has a lovely local feel about it.
Well worth a visit… try and meet Robert, the guy who keeps things on track (!). Amusing and passionate.
There’s also a delightful coffee shop on site.

Brunel is the man spanned the world with his bridges, tunnels, ships, docks. The industrial world would have looked completely different if this man hadn’t lived. As the greatest engineer at the time of the greatest modern empire, his industrial expertise touches all corners of the world.
This small museum is crammed with information. It won’t take you that long to visit (although probably longer than its size would first suggest) but it will almost certainly tell you things that you didn’t know before and spark your interest in the work he did.
Oh, I suppose it is fair to say that you probably need to be interested in things mechanical before you will eulogise in the same way, but that’s no reason to give it any less stars in my book.