Jumbo Water Tower
Jumbo Water Tower is a local name for the water tower at the Balkerne Gate in Colchester, Essex, England, which was named after the elephant, Jumbo.
It was constructed in 1883 and took around 20 months to build. 1,200,000 bricks and 819 tons of stone and cement were used in the construction of this 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.
Inside are 157 steps to a viewing platform known as "Wicks folly", which at 35.37 metres (116 ft) above ground offers views a long way over Colchester and its surrounding area.
The water tower was decommissioned in 1988 and has had multiple owners since, with planning permission granted for an apartment and a public viewing platform, although 20 years have passed and it still stands derelict.
See also
- Tower Hill Water Tower, a water tower of similar design in Ormskirk, Lancashire
External links
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