The Chimney Lift at Battersea Power Station

What is the Chimney Lift?

Doing what it says on the tin, Battersea Power Station’s Chimney Lift allows you to travel right up inside the smokestack of the Art Deco monolith – something that was once exclusively reserved for ‘engineers and Peregrine falcons’, I’m told before I get into the glass elevator that will shoot me 109 metres into London’s skyline. 

Where is the Chimney Lift?

London’s answer to Willy Wonka’s great glass elevator can be found inside Battersea Power Station’s Turbine Hall A, in south west London. The entrance to the lift is found on the first floor inside the Power Station. 

What happens at the Chimney Lift?

Before you fly up that chimney stack, you’ll pass through a recreation of the office of Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, the architect who designed the station, where a voiceover narrator spouts facts about the 1920s-built structure. Next up is a mini exhibition, where you’ll learn even more about the mechanics of the erstwhile ‘Cathedral of Power’ via kid-friendly touch screens and some interactive knobs and dials. 

All of this essentially serves to pad out the experience ahead of the main event: going inside the great concrete chimney. After being taken inside some big metal revolving doors, your lift experience will begin with watching a short video which is essentially an advert for the shopping centre that now resides inside the old power plant. You’re then ushered up 39 steps, which will take you up to 55-metres-high, before completing the final 54-metre climb inside the glass lift. And once you’re at the top, you’ll get about 15 minutes to admire the panoramic views of the city, and get a few selfies. 

Is the Chimney Lift any good?

It’s definitely one of the capital’s more unique sky-high experiences. Being inside the chimney itself, views directly over the iconic Power Station, is pretty exciting.

If you’re an engineering or architecture enthusiast, this should be right up your street. But if you’re in it purely for the views and photo ops, it’s worth noting that the location of the Power Station doesn’t offer the best possible view of the city. There’s currently quite a large construction site in your immediate eyeline on the south side, while the most famous landmarks on London’s skyline – your London Eyes, your Gherkins, your Houses of Parliament – while definitely visible are pretty far away.

You do get a nice view of the river Thames, while Chelsea Royal Hospital looks particularly regal, framed by the pink Chelsea Bridge with stretches of preened green grass in front. Plus, if you’re nosy like me you’ll enjoy getting a look into the luxury apartments on top of the Power Station, rooftop gardens and swimming pools included – oh, how the other half live! Inside the lift they’ve also marked out London landmarks like the Shard, Wimbledon and even Heathrow Airport. It makes a fun game trying to spot the domed roof of the Royal Albert Hall and the Crystal Palace Park TV transmitters, AKA the Eiffel Tower of South London. The experience itself is all very slick, modern and organised, with attendants waiting to greet you around every corner, and plenty of photo ops.

If you’re in the area and wanting to get a different view of the city, with some extra engineering spice thrown in, it’s worth a pop. Would I go out of my way just to experience the chimney? Given that there are other (free) viewing platforms in the city with superior vistas, I’m not sure. 

How to get tickets to the Chimney Lift

Tickets range from £16-£24. You can book them online or on the door, but booking in advance is cheaper. See all the options, including for group bookings, here.