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WATER TOWERS IN BRITAINBarton map number 05
In order to display a database of water towers, Britain has been divided into county groups with each group on a separate web page. The starting point is the towers identified in Barton B. (2003) Water Towers of Britain, The Newcomen Society. This data has then been updated.
Email: towers@thespas.co.uk (click here to send an email) Website: Click Here ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Greater London 1 The Crescent, Southall 2 Allenby Rd, Southall 3 Arkley  GRENNELL WATER TOWER SUTTON (05GL04)Great Grennell Hill, Benhilton, SM1 3DY. Built in 1934, this concrete water tower failed its acceptance trials and was never put to use due to hydraulic problems. It was demolished shortly after WW II. The hill is where St Hellier Hospital was built. Greenshaw High School, built in the 1960s, now locates on the water tower site in Grennell Road. 5 Plumridge Hill 6 Cockfosters 7 Villiers St, London. Investigation has revealed no apparent water tower.  PARK HILL TOWER CROYDON (05GL08)Park Hill, Croydon, South London. This 125 foot high Water Tower was constructed at Park Hill in 1867. Unfortunately provisions for supplying water locally still proved inadequate. This site in central Croydon was eventually abandoned in 1923. The tower had been opened to the public as a viewing platform in 1889. The tower survives in a public park to this day, albeit disused. Click right to see more.  CRYSTAL PALACE WATER TOWERS AND TANK (05GL09)Anerley, South London. After the 1851 Great Exhibition in Hyde Park, the Crystal Palace was relocated to South London where it overlooked the valley of the Norbury Brook and River Graveney. In the surrounding park were numerous water features and fountains, many of which survive to this day. Two similar 86 meter tall water towers were included in the rebuilding of the Crystal Palace. It continued to stun visitors until in 1936 the main building burnt down. The two towers and associated tank that supplied the numerous fountains survived the great fire that destroyed the palace. The towers were eventually removed in World War II to prevent them being used as a navigation aid by enemy aircraft. Click left to view the famous Schweppes Fountain at the palace and details of the water towers. 10 Heathfield, Croydon. SEE ADDINGTON BELOW. 
 ADDINGTON WATER TOWER (05GL10) Coombe Lane, Addington Hills, Croydon. Lying about one mile east of Croydon, the Addington Hills provided an ideal location to establish a reservoir and water tower to supply the ever growing populace of Croydon. Addington Reservoir was built in 1888 and the Valve House was initially open to the public with refreshments being served from the ground floor and a residence above. This was known as Addington Water Tower at the time. An outbreak of Typhoid in 1937 was traced to the reservoir and the cafe was quickly closed and the area fenced off. The facility supplemented the Park Hill tower in Croydon. Subsequently a concrete tower was added nearby adjacent to the tram line. The reservoir and Valve House continue to supplement the overall facility. Click the pictures for more details.  FOXEARTH WATER TOWER (05GL11)Littleheath Wood, up a small track opposite 80 Edgecombe (road), South Croydon. CR2 8AA. Also known as Littleheath tower, it lies on the eastern edge of the woods. The tower was built during the 1950s and is operated by Thames Water. The woods are located in Selsdon bounded by Littleheath Road, Foxearth Road, Croham Valley Road and Edgecoombe. Click right to see more.   SHOOTERS HILL WATER TOWERS, GREENWICH (05GL12)There are two water towers adjacent to the A207, Shooters Hill; both are near and visible from the main road. The first, most westerly tower, is in Elizabeth Fry Way off Bell Street SE18 4JY. This tower was converted to residential use in the early years of the 21st century. The second is located in the southerly end of Cleanthus Road. This tower is operated by Thames Water. Click left or right to see more. 13 Ilford 14 Havering  KEW GARDENS WATER TOWER (05GL15)Victoria Gate, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Road, Kew, Greater London. This tower dominates the landscape at one of the main public entrances to Kew Gardens. It supplied water to the greenhouses which house many of Kew's rare and fascinating species. Dating from 1848, it is 32.42m (107ft) high and was originally designed as a water tower and chimney for the Palm House.  KEW BRIDGE WATER TOWER (05GL19)Green Dragon Lane, Brentford, TW8 0EN. Visible on the skyline as you cross Kew Bridge over the River Thames from south to north, this tower and associated buildings was formerly part of a major waterworks supplying local communities. It is now the home of the London Museum of Water and Steam and is open to the public on specified days. The museum contains the largest collection of pumping engines in the world which can be seen still working at various times throughout the year.  CARSHALTON WATER TOWER AND BAGNIO (05GL16) Carshalton House, Carshalton, Greater London/Surrey. The Bagnio Tower building was erected between 1716 and 1721 by Sir John Fellowes, in the grounds Carshalton House. The source of water was a spring in the grounds of Carshalton House which fed the River Wandle. Within the building a "water engine" (water wheel) pumped water to the tower. The pumped spring water in turn fed the Bagnio as well as the main mansion. Click the picture for more details.  CULVERS WATER TOWER (05GL20) Access of Almond Avenue to the tower, located at the junction of Culvers Avenue/Green Wrythe Lane, Carshalton, Greater London/Surrey. This tower was built circa. 1875 and held water from a local artesian well for distribution to the Culvers Estate. Subsequently the tank was removed and the premises converted to residential. Click the picture for more details. 18 Waterloo Station 19 Ilford MPD Surrey  HALE WATER TOWER (05SY01)Hale, Near Farnham. This tower is located on the A287 Odiham Road north of Farnham, near the junction with Folly Hill. It is managed by South East Water.  BLACKHILL WATER TOWER (05SY02)Camberley, Surrey. GU15 1PS. Located just off the M3 junction 3, this impressive tower is accessible along a short walk through woods. Take the A322 north-west from jn.3. Take a left turn on to the A30 after half a mile. After about 1 mile take the Moultway B3015 south. There is a car park on the left about halfway to the point where the road crosses the M3. The tower is a short distance straight along the track through the trees from the car park. Built in 1923 it stores 200,000 gallons.  PRIORSFIELD WATER TOWER (05SY03)Priors Wood, Priorsfield Road, Hurtmore, Godalming, Surrey. GU7 2RQ. SU952461. This water tower is operated by Thames Water.  GODALMING WATER TOWER (05SY04)The Water Tower, Knoll Road, Godalming, Surrey. GU7 2EJ. A water tower built circa. 1880. Originally owned by the Godalming and Farncombe Water Company, it was sold in 1985. The tower is Grade II listed and remains a domestic residence. The Frith Hill Reservoir and Water Tower where it is located, were opened on August 3rd, 1880 by Lord Midleton of Peper Harow. The water tower, 75 feet tall and holding 28,000 gallons, provided a supply to Frith Hill, Hurtmore and Shackleford.  MUNSTEAD WATER TOWER (05SY05) Munstead Heath Road, Godalming, GU8 4AR. Brick-built and 130ft high, it was erected in 1898 to supply water to Munstead and neighbouring villages and was in use for approximately 70 years. It was bought at auction by architect Elspeth Beard in 1989 and converted to residential. She continues to occupy it to this day. 6 St Georges Hill, Weybridge  POLESDEN LACY WATER TOWER (05SY17)Polesden Lacy, near Bookham, Surrey. RH5 6BD. Located just off the Dorking Road, this estate is a National Trust property and open to the public. The water tower is located in the reception buildings. A significant feat of engineering that was built over 120 years ago by Ambrose Poynter, it supplied water to the main mansion house and surrounding estate buildings. More recently swifts have been encouraged to nest in it.  RUSPER WATER TOWER (05SY07)Rusper, Surrey. Take the Newdigate Road into Rusper and just outside the village you will see the water tower to your right. It is part of the Sutton and East Surrey Water Company's supply network. This huge free-standing concrete tank was built in 1930. In 2009 it was refurbished.  BROADWOOD WATER TOWER (05SY00)Lyne House Estate, off the Rusper Road, Capel, Surrey. This Grade II listed water tower once supplied the Broadwood Estate but is now converted to residential use  BUCKLAND WATER TOWER (05SY08)Buckland village green, Betchworth, Surrey. This black towered barn, now called The Towered Barn, lies near the village pond. In 1860 it was used as the village church during the restoration of the local church, also by the green. The tower is in fact a water tower used by the local community for many years. It is fed by the same water source that fills the village pond. The premises are now residential.  TADWORTH WATER TOWER (05SY09)Tower House, Tower Road, Tadworth, Surrey. A water tower built in 1898 on the wrong hill. Shortly afterwards the Sutton District Water Company extended their coverage and had to build a tower on nearby Colley Hill to gain distribution of water to its highest consumers. The tank is now gone and the tower a domestic residence. It has been occupied by Dr Osborne for more that 50 years who has carried out extensive renovation. Click the picture or read for more details: Osborne B. E. (2015) "Tadworth, the Village on the Downs", Cora Weaver Malvern.  COLLEY HILL WATER TOWER (05SY10)The Water Tower, Colley Hill, Surrey. High on the North Downs and now adjacent to the M25, this tower was built in 1911 to replace the tower built on the wrong hill at Tadworth. It was built and operated by the Sutton District Water Company with W Vaux-Graham the project chief engineer. It still functions as a water tower.  MARGERY WOOD WATER TOWER (05SY11)Located at the top of Reigate Hill in Surrey on the crest of the North Downs, this tower has a drinking water storage capacity of 1.2 million litres for distribution to the residents and businesses in Tadworth and Reigate. The south-east has about 50% less rainfall than the rest of the UK and is defined as water stressed by Sutton and East Surrey Water of Redhill who operate this tower.  GRAVELLY TOWER (05SY12)Godstone, Surrey. TQ 33717 53227. This tower is located on the North Downs ridge near Caterham. Like many, this one has found a new use in recent times for mobile phone masts. It appears on 1912 map, but not 1896. Gravel extraction was once a local industry.  WOLDINGHAM WATER TOWER (05SY13)Botley Hill, Nr Warlingham, Surrey. grid. ref. 386552, Built by the East Surrey Water Co. in 1931, this tower is at the highest point on the North Downs ridge. 14 Bagshot Heath 15 King Edwards School, Witley  WARLINGHAM WATER TOWER (05SY16)Great Park, Chelsham Road, Warlingham, Surrey. Formerly in the grounds of Warlingham Park Mental Hospital which closed in 1999. The tower was built in 1903 and refurbished in 2012. It now lies in the centre of a substantial residential estate.  BETCHWORTH WATER TOWER (05SY19)Located at the foot of the North Downs between Reigate and Dorking. At the bottom of Pebblecombe Hill turn right immediately before Betchworth Station level crossing in Surrey. This leads to the former lime works and the quarry with its 6 lime kilns. This closed in the 1930s but a brick tower remains. This is assumed to be a water tower but the iron stoke doors in its lower part could probably be to stop the water freezing in winter rather than for lime production.  CANE HILL ASYLUM WATER TOWER (05SY20) Crawford Crescent, Cane Hill, Couldsdon, Surrey. The mental hospital was built in two stages between 1882 and 1888. Demolition of Cane Hill started in March 2008 and was completed by the end of 2010. The surviving water tower was then converted into a 7 storey home and also the former hospital buildings into flats as part of a large scale residential development. Click the picture.  EPSOM HOSPITALS POWER STATION WATER TOWER (05SY21)Horton Road, Epsom, Surrey. The 20th century cluster of hospitals east of Epsom required services and this facility was built for water, gas and electricity supply. Clean water was supplied from a 400-foot borehole (steel-lined to stop contamination) within the grounds. The 1930s saw the direct current electrical generators in the facility dismantled and all the hospitals in the cluster connected to the alternating current of the National Grid. In 1960 a Central Boiler House was opened on the site to supply high-pressure steam to all the hospitals for heating. Following closure of the hospitals, it is now a Fitness Centre.  HORTON TOWER (05SY22) Cavendish Walk, Epsom, Surrey. Located to the east of the town on the former hospital complex, Horton Hospital closed in 1992 after 95 years. The area was redeveloped as modern residential dwellings with the 12 storey water tower remaining as an iconic landmark. Having survived the demolition, the question of the tower's future raised a controversial dilemma that the conservationists lost in 2011. Now the tower has gone but is not forgotten.  NETHERNE WATER TOWER (05SY23) The Tower, Wallace Square, Netherne on the Hill, Surrey. Netherne Asylum was a psychiatric hospital in Hooley. Founded in 1905, Netherne gained a reputation as a pioneering force in the treatment of mental illness. The hospital finally closed in 1994 however its water tower remains a local landmark now surrounded by new residential development. See picture.  KENLEY WATER TOWER (05SY24)Godstone Rd, Kenley CR8 5AE, Surrey. Located on the road towards Caterham from Purley, this is part of the Water Treatment Works operated by SES Water Redhill. It was built in 1989 on the site of the old Kenley Water Works and fed by springs from the North Downs aquifer, in the valley in which it is sited.  ST EBBAS WATER TOWER (05SY25)Hook Road, Epsom, Surrey. KT19 8LX. This tower once was the water source for St Ebbas Hospital. The Hospital opened in 1904 and was formerly Ewell Epileptic Colony (1904 to 1918) and later Ewell Mental Hospital (1927 to 1938). It is now St Ebbas for patients with mental handicap. The tower buildings were converted to residential in 2014 and include the original Water Tower which has been sympathetically restored. See picture.  WEST PARK ASYLUM WATER TOWER (05SY26)West Park Road, Epsom, Surrey. Once this tower was situated in the extensive West Park Hospital, one of a number of health institutions east of Epsom town. Work on building West Park Asylum was halted because of the outbreak of the First World War when the Canadian Military took over the buildings that had been completed. It was not fully completed until 1921. Now demolished, the tower finds itself in the centre of a modern housing estate called Nobel Park, just off Horton Lane. See picture.  RED LION WATER TOWER (05SY27)Tolworth Hospital, Red Lion Road, Surbiton, Surrey. KT6 7QU. This tower can be found in the works department of this working hospital. Confirmation is being sought that it is a water tower. The hospital has a long history since being completed in 1889, going from isolation hospital to geriatric to mental hospital.  BELMONT ASYLUM WATER TOWER (05SY28)The water tower was part of the infrastructure of the Belmont Asylum, a mental home for serious cases requiring isolation from the community at large. Along with the clock tower, the two structures were landmarks high on the downs near Belmont, just south of Sutton in Surrey. A granite track that connected the main asylum entrance to the station goods yard at Belmont ensured a supply of coal for heating the inmates. Today the towers have gone, and since 1989 the site is the location of Downview Prison. Sutton Ln, SM2 5PD. West Sussex 1 Wittering 2 Selsey 3 Bognor Regis  COLGATE WATER TOWER (05WS04)Tower Road, Colgate, Near Horsham, West Sussex. RH12 4SX This concrete water tower is built near to the highest point on Beacon Hill (146m above sea level) just outside the village.  PEASE POTTAGE WATER TOWER (05WS05)Parish Lane, Pease Pottage, West Sussex. RH10 5NY. This remarkable conversion of a disused water tower is now a freehold, detached house. Planning permission was given circa. 2016 for the conversion from a plain circular structure without decoration or windows.  WARNINGLID WATER TOWER (05WS06)This tower is located in Colwood Lane, Warninglid, Mid Sussex. RH17 5UQ. TQ 25667 25031. Sited just outside the village alongside Colwood Court, this daunting structure is in the care of South East Water. It not only provides a flow of water to surrounding properties but also supports aerials for mobile phones. See picture.  BALCOMBE WATER TOWER (05WS07)High Beeches Lane, Handcross, West Sussex. RH17 6JX. A late 19th century tower now Grade II listed. Can be viewed from High Beeches Lane in Slaugham parish. TQ 2837530991. Now managed by South East Water.  BURGESS HILL WATER TOWER (05WS08) It lies to your right after about half a mile, if you take the Keymer Road from Burgess Hill Railway Station. It is a 250,000 gallon water tower built in 1956 and can be seen in the distance from the roundabout on the London Road at Burgess Hill. It is operated by South East Water. In 2019 a planning application was submitted for 33 new homes right next to the Batchelors Farm Nature Reserve in Burgess Hill. Land at the site of Batchelors Farmhouse is situated off Keymer Road, right next to the iconic Water Tower. Click the picture.  HAYWARDS HEATH WATER TOWER. (05WS09) Princess Royal Hospital, Haywards Heath, West Sussex. Originally the St Francis Mental Hospital which finally closed in 1995; the site became the Princess Royal Hospital/ University Hospitals Sussex. The extensive hospital site originated in 1859. The present water tower appears to date from 1908 and is Grade II listed.  TURNERS HILL WATER TOWER. (05WS10) This tower is located on the left just up North Street in Turners Hill, just after the junction with the B2110. It appears disused and was likely supplying a few local buildings only. Next door is the Primary School. Grid. ref. 340 359  SELSFIELD WATER TOWER (05WS11)Selsfield Common West Hoathly, Sussex. This tower was built in 1903 as a metaphor for a castle. It is now Grade II listed. The water tower is still in use today and can be reached by foot along the wooded lane adjoining The Old Granary. The seven acres of woodland has been in the possession of The National Trust since it was donated, in 1912, by Lord Arthur Hill of Old House. In 1914, the West Hoathly Parish council entered into an agreement with the National Trust to maintain the area as an open space and to preserve its natural aspect. Although part of West Hoathly Parish, Selsfield Common is closer to Turners Hill.  STATION WATER TOWER (05WS19)Bluebell Railway Platform, East Grinstead Station, West Sussex. It is only in 2013 that the Bluebell Railway line was extended to join the main line at East Grinstead Station. This water tower was constructed at this time to a similar style as vintage towers elsewhere.  TILKHURST WATER TOWER (05WS12)Located on the roads between Felbridge and Turners Hill, on the right about half way, near Tilkhurst Farm. It is a large concrete structure operated by SES Water. The Sutton and East Surrey Water plc was rebranded to SES Water plc in February 2017 and is now trading as SES Water. 13 Placelands, E Grinstead This appears to be the same tower as the following:  SACKVILLE WATER TOWER (05WS14)College Lane, East Grinstead. Earlier known as Chequermead Tower. This tower was converted to residential as a project by architect Elspeth Beard. It is a Grade II Listed building constructed in 1914 by W. Vaux-Graham, an engineer with the local water board. He was a water engineer previously from the Sutton District Water Company in Surrey when they constructed the Tadworth Tower in 1898. The tower is built of sandstone and consisted of a single void, up to the base of the old tank which occupied the uppermost section of the tower. Visual viewing is good from the Church Lane car park.  WARNHAM LODGE WATER TOWER (05WS15)Northlands Road/Mayes Lane, Horsham. RH12 3SG. This astounding brick tower was built in 1890 as a water tower to service the new estate. Subsequently it became redundant and was integrated into the Warnham Lodge estate as a landmark building. It has two high rooms but is not fully residential. Grade II listed.  CHRISTS HOSPITAL SCHOOL WATER TOWER (05WS16)The extensive school is located at RH13 0LJ near Horsham in West Sussex. The tower can be seen from the perimeter of the school grounds. First founded in the 17th Century by King Edward VI, this historic private boarding school tower is of Victorian red brick construction. The water was sourced from an artesian well in Sharpenhurst Hill. Grade II listed.  WAPPINGTHORN WATER TOWER (05WS17)Steyning, West Sussex. BN44 3AA. This unusual concrete tower with its external spiral staircase is now residential. Head north from Steyning on the B2135. After about a mile, the tower lies up a track to the left just before Wappingthorn Wood. It was constructed as an ornamental folly/water tower, with an observatory, in about 1930 for Sir Arthur Howard as part of the Wappingthorn Estate. It is Grade II listed. Click right to see more. 18 Lancing Railway Station - disappeared without trace. 
LANDSCAPE City Centre, Coastal, Country town/village, Lowland, Park or Garden, Rural, Upland, Urban, Woodlands or Forest REGION England - Southern |
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