Ormskirk water tower owner seeks information, offers access...

image lifted from http://www.uniquepropertyblog.co.uk 

Last Thursday, Mike Jones and his friend became the proud owners of the Ormskirk Hospital water tower in West Lancashire.


Now Mike is asking if BWTAS members know anything of its history. All he knows is that it was built in 1860 to provide water to the Poor Law workhouse that then became Ormskirk Hospital in the 1950's.


Mike's taken up the standing offer of complimentary membership of BWTAS to tower owners and he would be happy for members to come and look around before they start conversion although he and BWTAS can't accept any liability for injury etc. In today's litigation culture we are compelled to say that.


Mike's also looking for guidance from any qualified members whilst he plans what to do with this fantastic building.


Please contact him on mjhousebuild@tesco.net or mobile 07751 605384. The tower is off Nightingale Walk, postcode L39 2AZ.


Prior to the sale, Burcough-based property specialists Armistead Barnett were saying they expected the demand for this property to be high.


Sales manager David Cowburn told the Ormskirk Advertiser: “This is an iconic, landmark building which offers a fantastic opportunity for those looking to create their dream home. The Water Tower is of particular architectural interest due to its five storeys, side projectile pipes, arched windows and the large water tank on top. Planning permission has been granted for two flats but there is potential to create one huge five-storey residence. It will make for a stunning home.”


The 175 square meter tower was part of the hospital site purchased and developed by Persimmon Homes as Nightingale Walk.


Nearby residents aslo said they were in favour of the developement. Neil Wynne, of Pinfold Road, said: "I would prefer it if someone moved into the water tower."


Ormskirk is also known for another water tower, the concrete 'UFO' at Scarth Hill to the east of Ormskirk. 


Sadly there is also a very large derelict one at Greetby Hill, now obviously a missed development opportunity but in its dotage has become reminicsent of a Victorian folly. An application to convert it into seven apartments in 2001 was later withdrawn. Greetby Now  and Then.

Hollymoor Hospital, Birmingham, West Midlands (1905)

Thankfully, this beautiful hospital tower still exists due to a change of use and it being grade II listed in November 1993.

The hospital was designed by William Martin & Martin and built by John Bowen & Sons of Birmingham for Birmingham Corporation as part of the City Lunatic Asylum. Most of Hollymoor hospital was completed by 1904, but the water tower was not completed until 1905. The hospital opened on the 16th of May 1905. The patients were relocated to Barnsley Hall Hospital during world war one, when it was used as a military hospital, to treat the wounded from France. The patients were returned in 1921. Hollymoor hospital closed in July 1994 and was mostly demolished in 1996.

The water tower now houses a dentist, a doctor's surgery and a pharmacy. It is located at O.S. Grid Ref. SP 00316 78498. Photograph by Andrew Clayton taken 26th June, 2005.

Barnsley Hall Hospital, Bromsgrove, Worcester (1907)

Hospitals have some splendid water towers, but unfortunately, many are being demolished, such as the recently reported Trafford General Hospital. Barnsley Hall Hospital had a splendid gothic water tower: a square tower in red brick with sandstone and terracotta dressing. It was demolished in April 2000, when it was reported “the day the water tower was demolished, lorry drivers on the nearby M5 stopped on the hard shoulder to watch, as this landmark building that had been a feature of their trips up and down the country for all of their driving careers.”

The hospital had opened on 26th June 1907 as the second Worcestershire County Lunatic Asylum, to relieve pressure on the existing site at Powick. It’s architect was George Thomas Hine. The Hospital transferred to the NHS in 1948 and closed in 1996. In 1997 there were proposals to convert the water tower, but these came to nothing. The Bromsgrove Society reported in its March 1999 Newsletter “The Barnsley Hall redevelopment will result in the demolition of the water tower as no suitable alternative use has been found.” The Local Authority had tried to have the water tower listed but failed. In 1998 the site was sold to the Laing/McAlpine partnership, after which the majority of the original buildings were demolished including the water tower.

The tower was located to the west of the main administration block, presumably where Tower Drive now is, at approximately O.S. Grid Ref. SO 96010 72578. Capacity unknown, any more information gratefully received. Photograph by Mark Norton taken May-July 1992.