Brown & Co. kindly let BWTAS photograph the Victorian Tower they have for sale (details here). This large Victorian tower has great potential - but also will require a great deal of effort in order to realise it, the result could be worth it.
This handsome tower is not so photogenic inside: The ground floor consists of two large rooms, the largest containing the capped borehole, probably the original one sunk in 1881.
Stairs take you up to the second level, consisting of 5 rooms. These were used as office accommodation by Anglia Water, heated by open fires. 
From here a very steep staircase, virtually a ladder, takes you to a trapdoor through which you access the void beneath the tank, that is supported by two immense steel beams. Unfortunately I was unable to find any markings on the ironwork that would indicate the maker.
A second, shorter stair/ladder gives access to the tank. This reveals a very interesting aspect: the tank is internally flanged! Normally this is done to provide a more aesthetically pleasing exterior, however this tank is totally enclosed, and in such cases would normally be externally flanged to ease cleaning. The 30,000 gallon tank has a single compartment, unlike most modern towers where it would be partitioned so that it may be drained while maintaining supply.
Plans of the existing tower may be found here. The tower is located in Cemetery Road, at O.S. Grid Ref. TF 99112 14218. More information may be found about this tower in a previous post on 23rd January 2009. Photographs on this site have been re-sized for the web, the complete gallery may be viewed by clicking here, where the pictures, at full resolution, may be accessed.
This handsome tower is not so photogenic inside: The ground floor consists of two large rooms, the largest containing the capped borehole, probably the original one sunk in 1881.
Stairs take you up to the second level, consisting of 5 rooms. These were used as office accommodation by Anglia Water, heated by open fires. 
From here a very steep staircase, virtually a ladder, takes you to a trapdoor through which you access the void beneath the tank, that is supported by two immense steel beams. Unfortunately I was unable to find any markings on the ironwork that would indicate the maker.
A second, shorter stair/ladder gives access to the tank. This reveals a very interesting aspect: the tank is internally flanged! Normally this is done to provide a more aesthetically pleasing exterior, however this tank is totally enclosed, and in such cases would normally be externally flanged to ease cleaning. The 30,000 gallon tank has a single compartment, unlike most modern towers where it would be partitioned so that it may be drained while maintaining supply.
Plans of the existing tower may be found here. The tower is located in Cemetery Road, at O.S. Grid Ref. TF 99112 14218. More information may be found about this tower in a previous post on 23rd January 2009. Photographs on this site have been re-sized for the web, the complete gallery may be viewed by clicking here, where the pictures, at full resolution, may be accessed.Ferrers
