A piece of London’s industrial past has been preserved after being upcycled into a unique picnic table and benches weighing 1.7 tonnes.
The patio set in the grounds of historic Abbey Mills Pumping Station is made from materials removed when Thames Water upgraded the Victorian sewers running through Waterworks Bridge in Stratford.
The table top was once one of several cast iron road plates forged at Blaenavon ironworks in south Wales around 170 years ago.
It sits on two pedestal bearings while the benches are created from rocker bearings.
The project's construction manager John McKay said: "The beautiful forged-steel structures have been part of London's history since Queen Victoria was on the throne, so the team wanted to make sure they could be appreciated by everyone.
"Often they were constructed from intricate components that can only be described as works of art.
"They served the Metropolitan Board of Works and Thames Water for over 175 years, so it would have been criminal to throw them in the skip."
Abbey Mills is a working site usually closed to the public, but open days are held throughout the year.
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