Friday 13 July 2012

Ormskirk Hospital water tower

So, I visited the tower I have in mind for my Honours project, last weekend. The building is really interesting and has lots of character. Here are some pictures i managed to take;




<><> </> <><> </> <><> </>
On the beautiful painted roof it reads
'Swift and House Wigan' 'Swift brothers 
Union Foundry Pemberton'



<><> </> <><> </> <><> </>

These black structures on the outside of the building

holds metal poles which cross through the

middle of the building for support. You can see them

on pictures below of the interior.






Here you can see the nearby flats which
have a similar style and shape to
the water tower


<><> </> <><> </> <><> </>
Amazing views from the tower













The above is the top floor which would have been used as the water tank, hence the rustiness!
These heavy metal cylindrical objects remain in the centre of the room, the owners are currently looking for a way of either moving them or incorporating them into the design. There are no windows on this floor but as there are currently plans to turn the building into two apartments, velux windows would be put onto the roof of this building.

The swift brothers were engineers and ironfounders. When looking into who they where i found this image

Swift and House, Union Foundry, c1920.




This is a picture of  the old Ormskirk Union workhouse which the tower overlooks, It was this workhouse that was supplied by the water tower and was built in 1851-3. Whoever was in charge would be situated at the top of the workhouse so that they could look out of the window to check on all their workers. The workhouse was designed by local architect William Culshaw who also drew up the plans for several other workhouses and buildings in the area.

Here are some wonderful pictures taken at the workhouse around 1900

childrens' ward

mens' ward


 Miss Amy Masters, superintendent of women's ward, c.1900.


They give a feel of the type of people who would have been around at the time and who would have been using the water tower.





Friday 6 July 2012

Water Tower renovations

Most renovated water towers are now apartments or houses. other renovations i have read about include;
  • student accommodation
  • bed and breakfast
  • light tunnel
Here are some photos of renovated water towers


     Light tunnel

                                          visitors can look up into various light boxes





                                         bed and breakfast






                                         student accommodation

Great News!

Great news, yesterday i contacted the owner of Ormskirk's hospital water tower. I explained my honours project to him and luckily he is happy to help! He has directed me to the site on the council's website where i can find plans of the building and area and we have arranged to meet up this weekend so that i can take a look around the property. So lots of pictures to come...
In the meantime I am looking into the history of this tower and other water towers. There is not a lot i could find on the Internet. Here is some information i found on the BWTAS (British water tower appreciation society) blog;



It was built in 1860 to provide water to the Poor Law workhouse that then became Ormskirk Hospital in the 1950's. 

“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 also said they were in favour of the development. 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 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 reminiscent of a Victorian folly. An application to convert it into seven apartments in 2001 was later withdrawn

About BWTAS

The British Water Tower Appreciation Society exists to connect enthusiasts of water towers to share their enjoyment of their artistic, cultural, architectural, historical, social and engineering significance.




An older photo of the tower


I love the black and white roof of the building and it's five storeys. This means i can possibly find 5 different things to have inside the tower as a public attraction.



What is a water tower?


A water tower is a structure designed to hold a reservoir of water and also to help maintain the water pressure in a municipal water system. Water towers have been used for centuries to hold supplies of water, and are capable of providing water even in the event of a power outage or pump failure, because they are elevated, meaning that the water in the water tower will pressurise the pipes with the assistance of gravity. Many areas use water towers as backup water supply systems to ensure that citizens have access to running water, and most small towns can store up to a day's worth of water in their water towers.

For every foot above the ground, a water tower is capable of generating more pressure. Typically, a water tower is installed on raised ground, and the tank of the tower is elevated to increase the potential pressure. In a small town, a single water tower can pressurise enough water to supply water to the entire town. In large cities, tall private buildings sometimes use water towers to supply their tenants, since the city's water system is not pressurised enough to get water to the top floors in peak periods of demand. When used in combination with a municipal water system, the pressurising ability of a water tower serves two primary functions.


The first function is to maintain constant pressure in the system, and prevent the emergence of negative pressure situations. Negative pressure can suck groundwater of other sources of pollution into the water supply, contaminating the town's water. A town with a water tower, however, can rest assured that the water lines will be fully pressurised at all times, keeping the water safe to drink. In some areas, a water tower must be attached to the municipal water system for this reason.

The second function of a water tower is more economic. A water tower can deliver water at periods of peak demand relatively easily, while a pump may have difficulties. By using a pump and a water tower, a town can save costs on the pump by pumping for average demand. When demands for water outstrip the abilities of the pump, the water tower kicks in to supply more water. When the pump is providing more water than the town needs, as often happens at night, the excess fills the water tower so that it is ready for the next period of peak demand.




Monday 2 July 2012

Google HQ

Surely, the Google HQ THE BEST place to work. So good infact that it's hard too see how any work actually gets done. With rules like 'not being allowed to be more than 100 metres away from food at any time', surely work is a second priority. Google want to be known as the company that puts users first and there is a heavy emphasis on the idea that work and play can co-exist. Its offices house a games room, a library in the style of an English country house and an aquarium where over-worked Googlers can lie in a bath full of red foam and stare at fish. Offices have bean bag chairs and heading down to the floor below involves taking a slide or firemans pole down (on the basis that you take no laptops or drinks with you!). If the day ever came where employees were feeling under stress, they can visit the massage parlour followed by a nap in one of Google's sleep pods. With more than 70 offices in more than 40 countries around the globe Google must have hundreds of happy employees!!












With the offices designed in such a way, employees must look forward to coming into work and calling in sick must be a rareity ...and not just because there is an on site doctor! 


'Working at google'