Claverton Pumping Station is a small but satisfying piece of canal engineering just outside Bath. Built to pump water from the River Avon up to the Kennet and Avon Canal, it still demonstrates how a large waterwheel and beam engine could do heavy work without steam.
It is not open every day, so check steaming and open dates before making the detour. When volunteers have the machinery running, the visit is especially good for travelers walking or cycling the canal who want a hands-on industrial stop away from Bath's Georgian core.