Water Tower

Reasons for Designation

The water tower on Rivey Hill, Linton is dsignated at Grade II, for the following principal reasons: * Built in 1935-6 as part of the Linton water scheme, it is a striking example of Art Deco design * Unusually for its date, it was constructed in brick rather than concrete, in order to harmonise with the landscape * The dodecagonal brick exterior has a monumental presence, and a sculptural quality enhanced by the twelve tapering buttresses * The impressive buttressed interior contains an open structure of steel girders supporting the water tank * The tower has landmark value due to its prominent and exposed position on Rivey Hill

Details

LINTON

467/0/10008 BALSHAM ROAD 16-JUL-08 RIVEY HILL WATER TOWER

II

Also Known As: WATER TOWER, RIVEY HILL, RIVEY HILL Water tower, 1935-6. Consulting engineers Sands & Walker of Nottingham. Brickwork by H. J. Paintin of Linton, steelwork by R. Watson of Bolton.

MATERIALS: Red brick with concrete dressings. The internal tank and girders are of steel. The roof is grey slate.

PLAN: Dodecagonal (12-sided).

EXTERIOR: Tower constructed of red brick in English bond, with a conical slate roof with 4 gablets and a finial. There are 12 tapering buttresses at the angles of the tower, with closers and concrete offsets. Between the buttresses there are narrow rectangular stepped recesses. At the bottom of the recesses there are tall metal windows on 4 sides, and at the top of the recesses there are small metal windows on all 12 sides. There is a round-arched doorway at ground level on the E side, with a commemorative metal plaque above. The top stage of the tower which conceals the water tank is blank, with a concrete band below and a concrete eaves cornice above. The mobile communications equipment affixed to the upper stages of the tower is not of special interest.

INTERIOR: The cylindrical steel water tank is supported on a 4-stage open structure of steel girders, embedded into 12 internal brick buttresses. There is a concrete floor at the 3rd stage.

HISTORY: In August 1934, South Cambridgeshire Rural District Council approved a scheme to supply mains water to more than 5,000 people in Linton and the surrounding villages. The hill villages of South Cambridgeshire had been suffering from severe water shortages for some time; the only water supply came from wells, most of which were contaminated or privately owned. The Linton water scheme, costing around £42,600, included 34 miles of cast iron pipework; a 60 foot-deep well; a pumping station in Back Road; and the 100 foot-high tower on Rivey Hill, with its 87,500 gallon water tank. The engineers were Sands & Walker of Nottingham. Work began in March 1935 and was completed in June 1936. The steelwork for the tower was supplied by R. Watson of Bolton for £2,030. The brickwork was by the Linton firm of H. J. Paintin and cost £3,788. The provision of fresh water transformed life in the district and enabled the building of a secondary school in Linton in 1937. The Village College still has the water tower as its emblem.

As the population expanded and the demand for water increased in the 1960s and 70s, two reservoirs were built in the grounds near the tower. Two further towers made of reinforced concrete were erected on nearby hills, so that there are now three towers serving the area.

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION DECISION: The water tower on Rivey Hill, Linton is designated at Grade II, for the following principal reasons: * Built in 1935-6 as part of the Linton water scheme, it is a striking example of Art Deco design * Unusually for its date, it was constructed in brick rather than concrete, in order to harmonise with the landscape * The dodecagonal brick exterior has a monumental presence, and a sculptural quality enhanced by the twelve tapering buttresses * The impressive buttressed interior contains an open structure of steel girders supporting the water tank * The tower has landmark value due to its prominent and exposed position on Rivey Hill TL5677047943

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

504112

Legacy System:

LBS

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