It could be said that the London Shoes topic this week caused a bit of a ‘stink’.
Undertaking this particular task had me thrashing the life out of me faithful old free-travel ‘60+Oyster Card’ and also caused me to wear away a bit more of the soles of my actual (London) ‘shoes’ – as I found myself in ‘Sarf’ London (aka the ‘Dark Side’) traipsing all the way from South West London across to South East London, in search of examples of this particular subject matter.
So – the subject matter for this week’s publication onto the London Shoes website, Facebook and Twitter sites – is the rather ‘geeky’ topic of “Victorian-Stink Pipes”.
These Victorian ‘Stink Pipes’ are ‘street fixtures’ that we have all walked past thousands of times, and most probably never noticed or never even given a second thought to – however, the story behind their origin, and their place in London’s history, is pivotal to the creation of the London sewer system as we know it today.
So – what is a ‘Stink (or Stench) Pipe’ ??
Well – they date right back to 1858, a period of time in London that is now historically referred to as the “Great Stink”.
In the lead-up to that period in time, there was no proper centralised management of sewage and water waste throughout London, and as a result the River Thames was literally full of human poo & pee, animal carcasses and industrial waste – all of which was extremely unhealthy for Londoners, many of whom contracted serious illnesses, some of which were fatal.
The ‘stink’ across London was so bad, that Parliament felt that it could no longer carry out its business in Westminster, and so had to relocate to Oxfordshire, until such time something was done about the ‘Stink’.
So – in 1858 the Government passed an Act to centralise the control of ‘human waste’ – and commissioned the renowned British designer and engineer ‘Joseph Bazalgette’* to design and build a brand new sewage system network throughout London (a sewage network that has lasted well over 150yrs and is still very much in use today).
*A blog I did entitled “Joseph Bazalgette & the construction of the London sewers” can be found in the ‘Archives’ tab of the London Shoes website.
Anyway – one of the noticeable street-fixtures that accompanied these new sewer systems were ‘Stink Pipes’.
These ‘Stink Pipes’ were simply massive hollow iron pipes that disposed of the lethal and highly inflammable concoctions of methane, hydrogen sulphide and ammonia gasses that built up in the sewage pipes under the roads and pavements.
These ‘Stink Pipes’ were quite simply a sort of safety valve which allowed these build ups of gasses in the sewage pipes – to travel up to the top of the ‘Stink Pipe’ high above the rooftops, and then drift off into the skies above London – and then be simply be blown away by the wind – leaving the streets and pavements ‘stink’ free.
Their locations tended to follow the path of main sewer pipes below the pavements, and also the spots where sewage pipes from different streets would converge or change direction.
As with all things Victorian, these Stink Pipes were quite often ornate works of art in their design and bodywork decoration.
The London ‘Stink Pipes’ were mainly designed, built and supplied by renowned London based manufactures such as ‘Ham Baker’ and ‘Fred Bird & Co’.
They were made of iron and were mainly ‘green’ in colour – and displayed a small plaque at their base, bearing the name of its manufacturer.
Hundreds of these ‘Stink Pipes’ were installed throughout Britain, and there are still loads of them in situ today – some in excellent condition, bearing in mind they’ve been there for over 160yrs – but most are not in such good nick.
Of the ‘Stink Pipes’ that still remain in London’s streets, most are located ‘sarf’ of the River and tend to follow the path of the Thames.
So my quest for this blog was to track-down some of the more prominent of these 160 year old Victorian street fixtures.
My challenge started in the Wandsworth and Clapham districts of South West London – an area that is important to me, as I was born in nearby Battersea in 1957, where I spent the first 5 years of my life – before my mum & dad decided to move across to the eastern side of London.
Although very young at the time, I do have some recollection of those times, particularly when my dear old mum used to take me to Clapham Common – and so it was slightly ‘thought-provoking’ for me, returning to Clapham for the sole purpose of searching for ‘Stink Pipes’ 🙁 I’m not too sure what my dear old mum would make of that :-))
It was certainly a long old day out, but by the end of it I had managed to track-down and photograph the Victorian ‘Stink Pipes still in situ at the following locations:-
Ram Street – (Wandsworth)
Wakenhurst Road – (Clapham)
Chivalry Road – (Clapham)
Garratt Lane – (Earlsfield)
Kennington Road – (Kennington)
Watson’s Street – (Deptford)
Lissell Street – (Greenwich)
Union Street – (Souhwark)
Bishopswood Road – (Hampstead)
Quinta Drive – (High Barnet)
Mayhill Road (Enfield)
Now – you may find this hard to believe, but there is a really big interest in ‘Stink Pipes’, with many clubs, societies, websites, blogs, Twitter groups all dedicated to this dear old ‘street fixture’ – and, the actual activity of Stink Pipe ‘spotting logging & mapping’ is an extremely popular pastime for enthusiasts.
Anyway – after an exhausting day on me ‘plates’, and before heading off home – I decided to pop in to the “Rose & Crown” pub in Union Street Southwark, for a well-deserved ‘cheeky’ beer and a packet of cheese & onion. The Rose & Crown pub has been a prominent fixture in Southwark since way back in the early 1800’s and it still retains some of the decorative wooden fixtures and fittings from that time.
So – wherever you are in the UK, next time you find yourself ambling down a street, just spare a thought for the dear old Stink Pipe – and if you should spot one then you never know, you may feel inclined to give it a closer examination, and perhaps look to see if it displays a manufacturers plaque – but then again, you may not!!
Hope you enjoyed this little story and the accompanying photos.

A newspaper cartoon picture – at the time of London’s ‘Great Stink’of1858 – (image courtesy of The Appendix)

Wandsworth Town rail station in SW London – where a few of these 160yr old ‘Stink Pipes’ can be found

The ‘Stink Pipe’ located in Ram Street – Wandsworth

Fred Bird & Co of Gt Castle St & Regent St-W1 – the manufacturer of the Stink Pipe located in Ram Street-Wandsworth

A typical Victorian design – at the base of the Ram Street-‘Stink Pipe’ in Wandsworth

Wakenhurst Road – which borders Wandsworth and Clapham – and the site of one of the better conditioned Victorian ‘Stink Pipes’

The Wakenhurst Road ‘Stink Pipe’

Another view of the Wakenhurst Road ‘Stink Pipe’

A close-up of the manufacturers emblem (Ham Baker of London) on the Wakenhurst Road ‘Stink Pipe’
The funnel of the Wakenhurst Road ‘Stink Pipe’

The ornate design of the base on the Wakenhurst Road ‘Stink Pipe’

Me – & the Wakenhurst Road ‘Stink Pipe’

Chivalry Road – Wandsworth SW London – where another Victorian ‘Stink Pipe’ is located

The Chivalry Road ‘Stink Pipe’

Another view of the Chivalry Road ‘Stink Pipe’

A couple of stinkers 🙂 – Chivalry Road-Wandsworth

The ‘Stink Pipe’ down Garratt Lane – Earlsfield – SW London

Clapham South Station – an area where a couple more of the old ‘Stink Pipes’ can be found.

‘Clapham Common’ SW London – very close to where I was born and lived until I was 5yrs old – and the Common was a place that my mum often took me to

A photo taken 62yrs ago, of my dear old mum & me having fun on Clapham Common

Clapham Common today – and there is also a Victorian ‘Stink Pipe’ somewhere on the Common, but I couldn’t find it

The extremely ornate and decorative ‘Stink Pipe’ in Kennington

Deptford Bridge station in SE London – and the location of yet another ‘Stink Pipe’

The ‘Stink Pipe’ down in Watson’s Street – Deptford SE London.

Another shot of the ‘Stink Pipe’ down in Watson’s Street – Deptford SE London.

Me – and the ‘Stink Pipe’ down in Watson’s Street – Deptford SE London.

Cutty Sark-Greenwich rail station – and another place where a160yr old Victorian ‘Stink Pipe’ can be found

The ‘Stink Pipe’ located on the corner of Lissell Street & Banning Street – Greenwich SE London

A close-up of the ‘Ham Baker’ manufacturers emblem, on the ‘Stink Pipe’ located down Lissell Street-Greenwich SE London

Me – & the Lissell Street, Greenwich ‘Stink Pipe’

A slightly different design of ‘Stink Pipe’ – in Bishopswood Road-Hampstead N.London

Still in the north of London – this one can be found in Quinta Drive-High Barnet

A close-up of the base of the Stinkpipe in Quinta Drive-High Barnet

Still in the north of London – this ‘stinkpipe’ is situated in Mayhill Road-London EN5

A closer look at the base of the ‘stinkpipe’ is situated in Mayhill Road-London EN5

Southwark SE1 – where a huge old ‘Stink Pipe’ can be found in Union Street

The Victorian ‘Stink Pipe’ standing next to the ‘Island Cafe’ in Union Street-Souhwark-SE1

A view of the base of the Victorian ‘Stink Pipe’ in Union Street-Souhwark

Another view of the Victorian ‘Stink Pipe’ in Union Street-Souhwark

Me – with the Union Street ‘Stink Pipe’ in the background

The ‘Rose & Crown’ pub-Southward SE1 – there has been a pub on this site since the early 1800’s

Me – neckin’ down a ‘cheeky’ one in the Rose & Crown pub in Union Street-Southward
A really different type of blog from you this time – I hadn’t thought about these things still being around. Surprisingly artistic and can’t imagine an effort to make something like this look attractive in these times
Fascinating topic
Absolutely fascinating. I’m learning so much….thank you
I needed to thank you for this good read!! I definitely loved every little biit of it. I have got
you bookmarked to check oout new stuff you post…
Very interesting! We have one situated on the pavement outside our house in Sutton Coldfield. We thought originally it was an old gas lamp but now think it’s a stink pipe! It’s green in colour but in need of a bit of tlc. Do you know if we would be allowed to clean it up and paint it? Birmingham council not at all interested!
Hi Lesley – thank you for taking the time and trouble to comment on my Stink Pipe blog – really kind of you, and I’m glad you found it interesting.
Unfortunately, I’m no expert on the topic, but there are certainly a lot of people out there that are.
I have attached below, a link to a website that is totally dedicated to ‘Stink Pipes’ which you may find interesting – and if the ‘pipe’ outside your home, still bears the manufacturers name, then Zi am sure that there would be someone within this forum, who would be able to provide you with a greater level of history behind your ‘pipe’. Hope this helps. (Geoff – London Shoes)
http://stinkpipes.blogspot.com
Hi Geoff. Thanks for your reply. I will give the link a go and it’s very kind of you to forward it to me. Kind regards.
Hi Lesley – have found this link as well which you may be interested in – it comes from the same source as the previous link, but with a more detailed coverage of the general ‘history’ of the evolution of ‘stink-pipes’ – All the best…..GEOFF
http://stinkpipes.blogspot.com/2012/06/invention-of-stinkpipe.html
Thanks again Geoff. Very grateful. Yesterday thought the Council had come to take the stink pipe down. Parked big truck outside our house with loads of equipment!! Turned out just replacing some tarmac! I’m in communication with our Civic Society to trace if the pipe is listed or not! Thanks again Lesley B
There is one on Battersea rise by St Marks Church opposite the cemetery and one on Clapham Common partially hidden by trees at the very top of wakehurst road on the triangular bit of green there.
Thank you Gayle – always good to receive additional info from anyone who has viewed my material – so I really appreciate you taking the time and trouble to contact me.
Since I published this specific post, I keep finding ‘new’ stink-pipes, all over the place – there must be loads more scattered throughout the ‘Smoke’.
The next time I’m down in the Battersea area, I will seek out these 2 ‘pipes’- photograph them, and add them to the blog.
Cheers…..GEOFF (London Shoes)
Hello everyone. Now I realise I’m not in London (actually I’m in Sutton Coldfield near Birmingham) but just a quick update on the pipe situated outside our house. We discovered that although it is a stink pipe it was actually a street lamp powered by the methane rising up! How clever were the Victorians? Although technically it’s owned by the Council we have restored it by rubbing down the rust and repainting! It doesn’t still have its light at the top but if we see anything in a reclamation yard we might try and refit it. Just thought you might like this info. Best regards
There used to be one near the beach at Rustington (Littlehampton).
Really interesting! You have solved a mystery for us. We have a stink pipe at the top of our road in Hampton, South West London, and I have spent many years walking past it and wondering what it was. You’ll be amused to hear that the consensus of opinion in our road seems to be that it’s a second world war siren left over from the blitz !!
I took a photograph of one today in Barnet EN5 it is miles away from houses just by the Dollis Brook off Mays Lane. I also I think had one in my front garden in Streatham in Cedarville Gardens but I never knew what they were called.
So very interesting? You live and learn even in your 60’s
Thank you Teresa – and as a fellow 60+’er, I totally agree with you 🙂
Hi I walked past these for years in and around North London, some near Sunny Hill Park, and Finchley area, Made by H.J.Rogers of Watford . Thank you for explaining what they are, you can learn some thing new every day, even at the age of 64
Hello Catherine,
I just wanted to personally thank you for taking the time and trouble to contact me via my London Shoes website, regarding my ‘Stinkpipes’ blog – really appreciate the comments, and I’m so pleased to hear that you enjoyed this particular article.
The topic of ‘Stinkpipes’ is a particularly interesting one, as there are so many scattered across London and beyond, so it gives me the opportunity to put together additional blogs on the topic.
Anyway – hopefully you will continue to follow and enjoy the blogs published on my London Shoes website.
Cheers…..GEOFF (London Shoes)
There is one Ham And Baker stink pipe along the shore road at Chelsea pensioners gate.
Hello Geoff,
a very interesting read. I first became aware of stinkpipes when a friend photographed one around six months ago and I’ve been spotting them ever since around South West London
Partly because I’ve been walking everywhere during the pandemic and partly since I know they’re not disused lamp posts.
Today, to top it all off I unexpectedly stumbled across the grave of the great sewer engineer himself – Joseph Bazalgette in Wimbledon.
Many thanks for sharing your recent experiences of the old ‘stink pipes’ – there certainly appears to be a lot more of them situated in the ‘sarf’ of London than there are in the east where I’m located. What a genius of a bloke old Joseph Bazalgette was – I bet he never in a million years ever envisaged that his engineering structures would still be principally relied upon in today London!!
If anyone is really that interested, there well over a dozen of these in the Finchley and Friern Barnet areas of north London. I am in the process of photographing all of them and noting their locations on an OS map at 1:10,000. Most of those in north Finchley bear the logo of the Finchley Local Board, which was superseded by Finchley Urban District Council in 1894. There are some in this area from FUDC as well. Others I have noted do not bear any inscription and are of a different design. What is puzzling me is that at least half of them have been cut down to less than half their original height. Does anyone know why, or was it to save on maintenance with them inevitably getting rusty with age?
Came across this information by accident. My eyes and nostrils have been opened to the stink pipe. Certainly will be keeping a look out for this gorgeous bit of plumbing history. Thank you.