FULL TOUR HERE

HISTORY & INTRODUCTION.........

BALKAN WATER TOWER, OR "JUMBO" AS IT'S AFFECTIONATELY KNOWN, WAS BUILT BETWEEN 1882 & 1883, WITH THE CONTRACTOR BEING LOCAL BUILDERS HENRY EVERETT & SON. THE MASSIVE IRON TANK, AND SPIRAL STAIRCASES WERE MADE BY THE LOCAL FOUNDRY A.G. MUMFORD, THEIR FOUNDRY BEING LOCATED CLOSE BY IN THE TOWN. THE NAME "JUMBO" WAS GIVEN TO THE TOWER BY THE REV. CANON IRVINE, RECTOR OF ST.-MARY-AT-THE-WALLS, WHEN HE LEARNED THAT THE TOWER WAS TO BE BUILT JUST 16 FEET FROM HIS RECTORY!! AFTER HE WENT TO THE PRESS, IT WAS AGREED TO MOVE THE POSITION OF THE TOWER BY 60 FEET. JUMBO WAS AN ELEPHANT THAT HAD BEEN BOUGHT BY LONDON ZOO FROM THE AMERICAN CIRCUS P.T. BARNHAM. THE TOWER WAS OFFICIALLY OPENED BY THE MAYOR ON THE 27TH. DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 1883. SOME OF THE FACTS ARE............ "JUMBO" IS THE LARGEST SURVIVING ENGLISH VICTORIAN WATER TOWER. --85 FEET HIGH --1,200,000 BRICKS --5,000 TONS TOTAL WEIGHT. THE TOTAL COST OF THE TOWER & LAND WAS £100,000 -THE IDEA FOR A WATER TOWER WAS FIRST SUGGESTED IN 1858 --WICK'S FOLLY NAMED AFTER THE WATERWORKS COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN. --TIE BARS WERE ADDED BY JAMES PAXMAN TO STRENGTHEN THE TANK, BUT THE TANK COULD STILL NOT BE MORE THAN THREE QUARTERS FULL!! --THE WATER TANK WAS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED TO HOLD 220,000 GALLONS --THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE HOUSED IN THE CENTRAL LEG HAS 135 STEPS UP TO THE TOP OF THE TANK, WITH A FURTHER 22 UP TO WICK'S FOLLY. --THE WEATHERVANE FEATURES "JUMBO" THE ELEPHANT STANDING EMPTY SINCE ANGLIAN WATER MADE THE TOWER REDUNDANT IN 1984, THE FATE OF THIS GRADE 2 LISTED STRUCTURE IS YET TO BE DECIDED, WITH THE CURRENT OWNER & LOCAL COUNCIL LOOKING FOR A FUTURE USE THAT IS PRACTICAL FOR THE OWNER, YET ACCEPTABLE TO THE PUBLIC. I FEEL PRIVILEGDED TO LOOK AROUND SUCH A UNIQUE STRUCTURE, WHICH IS A FINE EXAMPLE OF VICTORIAN DESIGN & ENGINEERING.