Kirkaldy Testing Museum

The Kirkaldy Testing Museum is a former Victorian-era testing laboratory in Southwark that displays a large universal testing machine about 47 feet long along with various other testing devices from the industrial age. The space preserves the original layout of the workshop where material samples were tested under extreme stress.

David Kirkaldy opened his testing workshop in 1874 on Southwark Street to examine bridge materials. After the Tay Bridge collapse in 1879, the workshop became important in demonstrating how proper material testing could have prevented such disasters.

The museum shows how engineers tested materials in the 1800s to make bridges and buildings safer. The machines here still stand in the same spot where workers once used them.

Visitors can only come on scheduled tour days, typically the first Sunday or fourth Saturday of the month. Those who want to look around should check in advance for current opening times, as the museum is not open daily to the public.

The hydraulic machine here still runs using the same system installed more than 140 years ago. This makes it a rarely preserved example where original equipment still works in its original location.

Location: London Borough of Southwark

Inception: 1983

Address: 99 Southwark Street, Southwark, London SE1 0JF

Email: info@testingworks.org.uk

Website: http://testingmuseum.org.uk

GPS coordinates: 51.50596,-0.10157

Latest update: December 11, 2025 11:03