Survey Data
Reg No
20862008
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Historical, Social, Technical
Original Use
Water tower
In Use As
Water tower
Date
1945 - 1955
Coordinates
165466, 72591
Date Recorded
04/05/2011
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Freestanding square-plan water tower, built c.1950. Red brick walls laid in Flemish bond with concrete plinth and concrete parapet with projecting cornice. Square-headed openings with concrete surrounds. Metal doors to ground floor opening with upper floor opening now blocked. Collecting tank no longer in situ. Located in north-western corner of the grounds of St Mary’s Hospital.
Appraisal
St Mary’s Hospital was originally conceived as a fever hospital and though designs were drawn up in 1938 by TJ Cullen, with assistance from JF McMullen Jr., the complex was not completed until 1952. The water tower represents a striking artefact within the complex, which is of technical engineering significance for its intended use as a water supply system. The red brick walls echo the walls of the hospital buildings and though the collecting tank has been removed, the structure remains an important part of the architectural heritage of the complex.