London's Industrial Heritage

By Geoff Marshall

Did you know that apart from Lancashire, the greatest concentration of Boulton & Watt steam engines was in London, demonstrating the enormous and often overlooked significance of London as an industrial centre? The story behind the many industries found in the capital is described in this unique book. London once had scores of breweries; the world’s first plastic material was synthesised in the East End; there was even a gasworks opposite the Palace of Westminster. Clerkenwell was a centre for watch and clock makers; the River Thames used to be full of colliers bringing coal from Newcastle; Joseph Bramah invented his water closet and hydraulic pump here, and Henry Maudslay made machines to make machines. Many household names began in London: Schweppes, Crosse & Blackwell, and Vauxhall motor cars. The list of fascinating facts goes on. In this, the first book of its kind on the subject, Geoff Marshall provides an enthralling overview of London’s industrial face through history.

• Language: English
• Publisher: The History Press
• Release date: Mar 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9780752492391

Geoff Marshall

Geoff Marshall is a freelance video producer, making transport films for Londonist and his own YouTube channel. He is a tour guide for Hidden London, taking people inside abandoned tube stations, and has twice held the world record for travelling to all Underground stations in the fastest time possible. In 2017 Geoff travelled to every railway station in Great Britain with his partner Vicki Pipe. They filmed the entire All the Stations experience - their YouTube vlogs were watched by more than 5 million people.