Bucknell, Oxfordshire (1909)

Information Request…

© Copyright Anthony Parkes and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

The above water tower is a Grade II listed building. Built in 1909 by Major Philip Hunloke to serve the Bucknell Manor estate and the village of Bucknell. It was used until the 1950s when mains water was installed. The tower, often referred to as Trow Pool water tower, is very prominent on the M40 between junctions 9 and 10 at SP 54860 24800.

BWTAS member James Clark is writing a book on motorway landmarks and would be very appreciative of any additional information regarding this tower. If you can help James, please email BWTAS: bwtas@hotmail.co.uk

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© Copyright Alan Murray-Rust and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

Rye cistern, East Sussex (1735)

© Photograph Copyright David Harrison

Not a water tower, as the tank is not elevated – water is stored in the domed, oval brick storage tank, that extends 3 feet beneath ground level providing 20,000 gallons of storage. Above this, the upper portion has a gauge board indicating the water level and presumably contained a pump to extract water from a well and/or distribute the water. Located in the grounds of St Mary's church, in what was known as Pump Street, now Church Square, at O.S. Grid Ref. TQ 92176 20322, this now grade II* listed building was erected in 1735 as part of a scheme costing £600 to improve the town’s water supply. However, the cistern's proximity to the butcher's area caused some problems - in 1754, several calves feet were found in it! BWTAS would like to thank David Harrison for sending us the photograph, taken on 1st May 2009.

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"Jumbo" goes up for sale again…

After purchasing Colchester's iconic, Grade II* listed, "Jumbo" water tower for a whopping £330,000, back in February 2006, Mr. Braithwaite seems to have concluded that there is no viable commercial use for the building. He is putting the tower up for auction on the 29^th of May… As reported in the Colchester Gazette, no reserve has been put on the sale, and our friends at the Balkerne Tower Trust, believe they have a once in a lifetime opportunity, to acquire this icon for the people of Colchester - if they can raise sufficient funds. If you are interested in what they propose to do with the building, or wish to help them in their endeavour to purchase the water tower, please visit their web site: www.savejumbo.org.uk.

Note: that the Balkerne Tower Trust is a distinct entity and not part of the British Water Tower Appreciation Society.

Update: Jumbo sold for a staggering £190,000 - out of reach of the Balkerne Tower Trust.

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Radar-cal revision of Allhallows Water Tower

images from Geograph

A former Braithwaite water tower near Allhallows, Medway, England once owned by Southern Water was converted in September 2008 into a radar station by the Port of London Authority to monitor ship movements on the Thames. The Yantlet Line which marks the downstream limit of the PLA area lies 4 km to the east.


This re-version is a variation of the Tilbury radar tower disguised during WWII as a water tower.

Information Britain says:

Allhallows is a village and civil parish on the Hoo Peninsula in Kent, under the unitary authority of Medway Council. The Hoo Peninsula is a jutt of land above Rochester, sandwiched between the Medway and the Thames and divided from the Isle of Grain by the Yantlett Creek. Allhallows village is in two parts: the ancient Hoo All Hallows and the 20th century holiday colony Allhallows-on-Sea. Hoo All Hallows is clustered round the parish church of All Saints. All Saints church dates from the 12th century and is the only Grade I listed building on the Hoo peninsula. The modern holiday village of Allhallows-on-Sea lies to the north of the village and was developed by Southern Railways in the 1930s. Their original planned development never took place because of World War II, but there is a now a Haven holiday park and some residential properties on the estuary shore. The station was demolished in 1961 and sold for use as a holiday caravan park. There is a listed railway water tower situated among the caravans. The area is popular with bird watchers. Other leisure activities include a 9 hole golf course and The Cross Park Country Park. There are a couple of pubs, The Rose and Crown Inn and The British Pilot.