Tower Hill Water Tower
Encyclopedia
Tower Hill Water Tower is a disused water tower
and local landmark in Ormskirk
, Lancashire
. Situated on the east side of Tower Hill, it was built between 1853-4 for Ormskirk Local Board of Health, and is reputed to be the oldest remaining water tower in the country. It was awarded Grade II* listed status in 1976, and is on the Buildings at Risk Register. The area immediately surrounding the tower has been used as allotments
since the mid 20th century.
style, constructed of coursed, squared sandstone
, and arranged in a square plan. On each side are two narrow full-height Romanesque arch
es, all with stepped surrounds and arch-bands, and linked by an impost band. Above the arches is a plain frieze
with carved grotesque
s at the corners, topped with machicolated corbel
ling.
In its present state, the tower stands at a height of approximately 17 metres (55.8 ft). Originally, the stonework was surmounted by a metal water tank with a pitched
slate
-covered roof, which added an extra 6.2 metres (20.3 ft) to the height of the structure. Due to its poor condition, the tank was removed in the early 1990s.
was granted in 1988 for the conversion of the tower into a single dwelling, though the scheme was never implemented. Subsequent applications to convert the tower into offices or an apartment block were either refused or withdrawn. A more recent application for conversion into seven apartments was made in 2004, though this has also been rejected, and an appeal against the decision was dismissed in April 2008.
Development of the site has met with opposition from local residents, and local Conservative
councillor
Adrian Owens was amongst critics of the most recent application.
Water tower
A water tower or elevated water tower is a large elevated drinking water storage container constructed to hold a water supply at a height sufficient to pressurize a water distribution system....
and local landmark in Ormskirk
Ormskirk
Ormskirk is a market town in West Lancashire, England. It is situated north of Liverpool city centre, northwest of St Helens, southeast of Southport and southwest of Preston.-Geography and administration:...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
. Situated on the east side of Tower Hill, it was built between 1853-4 for Ormskirk Local Board of Health, and is reputed to be the oldest remaining water tower in the country. It was awarded Grade II* listed status in 1976, and is on the Buildings at Risk Register. The area immediately surrounding the tower has been used as allotments
Allotment (gardening)
An allotment garden, often called simply an allotment, is a plot of land made available for individual, non-professional gardening. Such plots are formed by subdividing a piece of land into a few or up to several hundreds of land parcels that are assigned to individuals or families...
since the mid 20th century.
Structure
The tower is built in the Romanesque RevivalRomanesque Revival architecture
Romanesque Revival is a style of building employed beginning in the mid 19th century inspired by the 11th and 12th century Romanesque architecture...
style, constructed of coursed, squared sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
, and arranged in a square plan. On each side are two narrow full-height Romanesque arch
Arch
An arch is a structure that spans a space and supports a load. Arches appeared as early as the 2nd millennium BC in Mesopotamian brick architecture and their systematic use started with the Ancient Romans who were the first to apply the technique to a wide range of structures.-Technical aspects:The...
es, all with stepped surrounds and arch-bands, and linked by an impost band. Above the arches is a plain frieze
Frieze
thumb|267px|Frieze of the [[Tower of the Winds]], AthensIn architecture the frieze is the wide central section part of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic or Doric order, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Even when neither columns nor pilasters are expressed, on an astylar wall it lies upon...
with carved grotesque
Grotesque
The word grotesque comes from the same Latin root as "Grotto", meaning a small cave or hollow. The original meaning was restricted to an extravagant style of Ancient Roman decorative art rediscovered and then copied in Rome at the end of the 15th century...
s at the corners, topped with machicolated corbel
Corbel
In architecture a corbel is a piece of stone jutting out of a wall to carry any superincumbent weight. A piece of timber projecting in the same way was called a "tassel" or a "bragger". The technique of corbelling, where rows of corbels deeply keyed inside a wall support a projecting wall or...
ling.
In its present state, the tower stands at a height of approximately 17 metres (55.8 ft). Originally, the stonework was surmounted by a metal water tank with a pitched
Roof pitch
In building construction, roof pitch is a numerical measure of the steepness of a roof, and a pitched roof is a roof that is steep.The roof's pitch is the measured vertical rise divided by the measured horizontal span, the same thing as what is called "slope" in geometry. Roof pitch is typically...
slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
-covered roof, which added an extra 6.2 metres (20.3 ft) to the height of the structure. Due to its poor condition, the tank was removed in the early 1990s.
Proposed developments
Planning permissionPlanning permission
Planning permission or planning consent is the permission required in the United Kingdom in order to be allowed to build on land, or change the use of land or buildings. Within the UK the occupier of any land or building will need title to that land or building , but will also need "planning...
was granted in 1988 for the conversion of the tower into a single dwelling, though the scheme was never implemented. Subsequent applications to convert the tower into offices or an apartment block were either refused or withdrawn. A more recent application for conversion into seven apartments was made in 2004, though this has also been rejected, and an appeal against the decision was dismissed in April 2008.
Development of the site has met with opposition from local residents, and local Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
councillor
Councillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
Adrian Owens was amongst critics of the most recent application.
See also
- Jumbo Water TowerJumbo Water TowerJumbo Water Tower is a local name for the water tower at the Balkerne Gate in Colchester, Essex, England. The tower was nicknamed "Jumbo" after the London Zoo elephant as a term of derision in 1882 by Reverend John Irvine who was annoyed that the tower dwarfed his nearby rectory.Construction took...
, a water tower of similar design in ColchesterColchesterColchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
, EssexEssexEssex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...