London Gas Museum

The London Gas Museum once stood in West Ham, east London, on Twelvetrees Crescent in the London Borough of Newham. It occupied a red-brick building from 1905 that once formed part of a gasworks. The site lay east of the River Lea, close to Bromley-by-Bow tube station. The museum displayed objects linked to the gas industry, including a gas-powered radio and old survey maps used by gas companies. Its collection reflected how gas lighting and heating shaped daily life across London. The museum closed in 1998 after deciding to distribute its holdings. Its artefacts were transferred to other collections, mainly joining those of the Leicester Gas Museum. The Twelvetrees Crescent building no longer shows gas history but now houses offices. Visitors can still see the 1905 structure from the outside, its industrial lines unchanged. The area around it remains an active part of east London’s transport and industrial network. The surroundings include the Lea Valley and nearby tube links, offering a quiet contrast to the former industry. The building’s brickwork and windows recall its original purpose. Although the museum itself has gone, the site keeps a trace of London’s gas era. The street and station nearby keep the memory of the place alive for those who once visited.