//
Photo: Jim Linwood, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Something of an undiscovered gem. It houses a vast collection of working automatic musical instruments, from barrel organs to player pianos and beyond. Tours with knowledgeable and highly enthusiastic guides are highly recommended, as is the opportunity to listen to the Mighty Wurlitzer (which rises from the floor in the main auditorium). In addition to its function as a museum, the venue also hosts occasional cinema screenings of classic films (preceded by music from the Mighty Wurlitzer, or - in the case of silent film - accompanied by it) and houses a popular cafe with Thames views. Among the unusual (and hard-to-find) items usually available in the gift shop are clocks made from 78 rpm shellac discs, and original player piano rolls.
The Musical Museum is a charity, museum and concert venue located in Brentford, west London, a few minutes' walk from Kew Bridge railway station. Its stated purpose is to conserve, preserve, and develop nationally important collections related to the history of music reproduction; inform, engage and entertain the public regarding the evolution of music reproduction; and conserve, preserve, promote and present the theatre pipe organ as an instrument with a significant role in the development of light music on radio and in the cinema and as a musical art form.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
formerly known as 'Kew Bridge Steam Museum'
This museum of London's water supply is well worth a visit for anyone with an interest in the industrial revolution. Housed in the former Kew Bridge Pumping Station (a fascinating building in its own right), the Steam Museum possesses the finest collection of steam-pumping engines in the world. Different engines are to be seen working on different days, so it is worth checking the website before visiting if a particular engine is of interest. Themed days are a feature of the Steam Museum's calendar, and the purchase of an entry ticket permits limitless further visits throughout the following year.
Fans of British TV may be interested to know that the riverside area to the south of Brentford High Street is frequently used for outdoor filming by popular series such as ITV's The Bill. The backdrop of the estate (sited on the former Brentford Dock, the terminus for GWR trains transferring goods to the Thames) appears frequently in shows requiring a 'gritty', urban atmosphere. The northern aspect of the Brentford Dock estate belies its extremely picturesque marina (filled with a variety of narrowboats, Dutch barges and pleasure craft) and waterside views, however. Indeed, for connoisseurs of post-war architecture, Brentford Dock is often cited as an example of a successful and aesthetically-pleasing social housing development from a period most commonly characterised by its failures.
Attractive riverside area, with many imposing listed buildings (including several pubs) alongside the River Thames. Be careful though, as the riverside path is liable to flooding at high tide.
Local history museum for Ealing and Hounslow, housed in the former home of the Rothschild family.