Jumbo Water Tower
Encyclopedia
Jumbo 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 around 20 months (the gestation period of an elephant) and was completed in 1883. 1,200,000 bricks and 819 tons of stone and cement were used in the construction of the tower. The tank is constructed of cast-iron bolted panels and when it was in use could hold 1069 cubic metres (37,800 cubic ft) of water. Jumbo was claimed at the time to be the second largest water tower in England.
Inside the central pier are 157 steps to a cupola
which at 35.37 metres (116 ft) above ground offers views a long way over Colchester and the surrounding area.
After a century of service the water tower became superfluous to the water supply system and was sold off by Anglian Water
in 1987. It has had multiple owners since. In 2001 after prolonged controversy permission was granted on appeal to replace the tank with a glass walled penthouse
, but work on this never started and permission expired. In 2006 at the height of the UK property boom, Jumbo was sold at auction for £330,000 to a local developer. In 2008 a local charity was formed with the aim of restoring the Grade II* listed tower and making it a heritage attraction with guided public access.
In September 2011 a subsequent planning application to convert the tower in to a penthouse, flats and restaurant was rejected by Colchester Borough Council by 7 votes to 5.
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....
at the Balkerne Gate in Colchester
Colchester
Colchester 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...
, Essex
Essex
Essex 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...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The tower was nicknamed "Jumbo
Jumbo
Jumbo was a large African Bush Elephant, born 1861 in the French Sudan – present-day Mali – imported to a Paris zoo, transferred to the London Zoo in 1865, and sold in 1882 to P. T...
" after the London Zoo
London Zoo
London Zoo is the world's oldest scientific zoo. It was opened in London on 27 April 1828, and was originally intended to be used as a collection for scientific study. It was eventually opened to the public in 1847...
elephant
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
as a term of derision in 1882 by Reverend John Irvine who was annoyed that the tower dwarfed his nearby rectory.
Construction took around 20 months (the gestation period of an elephant) and was completed in 1883. 1,200,000 bricks and 819 tons of stone and cement were used in the construction of the tower. The tank is constructed of cast-iron bolted panels and when it was in use could hold 1069 cubic metres (37,800 cubic ft) of water. Jumbo was claimed at the time to be the second largest water tower in England.
Inside the central pier are 157 steps to a cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
which at 35.37 metres (116 ft) above ground offers views a long way over Colchester and the surrounding area.
After a century of service the water tower became superfluous to the water supply system and was sold off by Anglian Water
Anglian Water
Anglian Water is a privatised water company that operates in the East of England. Named for East Anglia, apart from Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire it also covers Lincolnshire, Essex, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, a small part of north Nottinghamshire and Greater London...
in 1987. It has had multiple owners since. In 2001 after prolonged controversy permission was granted on appeal to replace the tank with a glass walled penthouse
Penthouse apartment
A penthouse apartment or penthouse is an apartment that is on one of the highest floors of an apartment building. Penthouses are typically differentiated from other apartments by luxury features.-History:...
, but work on this never started and permission expired. In 2006 at the height of the UK property boom, Jumbo was sold at auction for £330,000 to a local developer. In 2008 a local charity was formed with the aim of restoring the Grade II* listed tower and making it a heritage attraction with guided public access.
In September 2011 a subsequent planning application to convert the tower in to a penthouse, flats and restaurant was rejected by Colchester Borough Council by 7 votes to 5.
See also
- Tower Hill Water TowerTower Hill Water TowerTower 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...
, a water tower of similar design in OrmskirkOrmskirkOrmskirk 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:...
, LancashireLancashireLancashire 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...