Newton Water Tower

[bob]

i think the tower you mention was actually on country file this morning, they was doing a feature about a local custom where the locals beat 7 bells out of each other over a ladies hood?, and i noticed in the background what looked like Newtons water tower, that was strange to see!,



bob

[Steven Dowd]

I found this photo, and text from 1955 concerning the Water Tower, thought I would add it into this older thread..



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NEWTON-LE-WILLOWS WATER TOWER
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The Water Tower was completed and came into service in 1906. The tank is 72 ft. diameter by 12 ft. deep, with the roof 82 ft. above the ground and has a capacity of 300,000 gallons.

It is interesting to note that this concrete structure was one of the first of its type to be erected in this country. The Tower, designed by Messrs. Read & Waring, Consulting Engineers, was constructed by Messrs. Cubitts & Co. at a cost of £6,000.



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At present water is pumped by two 64.5 horse power Sulzer electrical impeller type pumps from a 200 ft. deep well into the tower reservoir for distribution by gravitation throughout the district. Headings at different levels have been driven horizontally from the well to increase the yield and the whole of the workings arc in the Bunter Sandstone which overlies this district and surrounding areas. Two years ago a new borehole was constructed on the land cast of Belvedere Road and a K.S.B. submersible pump of 23,000 gallons per hour capacity provides direct into the mains an additional supply of approximately 400,000 gallons per day. The Southworth Road Works has a safe capacity of between 750,000 to 800,000 gallons per day, but this quantity is not pumped at present.

The total daily consumption for the district and a supply to part of Golborne is between 900,000 and 950,000 gallons per day. At the time of the erection of the tower, a steam engine operated a bucket type pump, but this was discontinued in 1933 when the electrically driven pumps were installed.

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Steven Dowd

[ron knight]

If you want to see water towers still existing similar to the former one at Newton, have a visit to Congleton. They have two, one each side of the Dane Valley. They are of oval cross-section rather than circular, and don't have the little domed house on top, but are otherwise of the same design and period. A good choice of pubs there too!

As a small boy of about 10 (I am now 70), I once went up the Newton tower officially with my aunt, who obviously had contacts.

[Steven Dowd]

Hello Ron

Sorry, I meant to say welcome in my last post, but got side tracked mapping out roman road lines on maps fo rthe other posts

So you went up the tower, bet the view was great from the top of it, bet the kids at school were jealous of that.

Steven Dowd

[marge]

I remember the water tower very well and I'm sad to see it gone now.
Can anyone tell me if I am right in thinking that a lady by the name of Cora? Brown lived in the houses along side the water tower.
If I remember correctly she worked in the coop on the corner of High Street and Cobden Street.

[DH]

As a small boy of about 10 (I am now 70), I once went up the Newton tower officially with my aunt, who obviously had contacts.

Not many people got to go up the tower Ron, like me you were very lucky to do so. Who was your Aunt by the way and what was the connection to her having access?

[DH]

I remember the water tower very well and I'm sad to see it gone now.
Can anyone tell me if I am right in thinking that a lady by the name of Cora? Brown lived in the houses along side the water tower.
If I remember correctly she worked in the coop on the corner of High Street and Cobden Street.

That name seems vaguely familiar somehow and yet to the best of my knowledge she didn't live near the water tower. I was born there in 1945 and lived there until 1971 and she most definately did not live in the houses adjacent to the tower in that period or since. There was a lady who lived further up Southworth Road who I am fairly certain worked at the place you mention but that wasn't her name

[marge]

I remember the water tower very well and I'm sad to see it gone now.
Can anyone tell me if I am right in thinking that a lady by the name of Cora? Brown lived in the houses along side the water tower.
If I remember correctly she worked in the coop on the corner of High Street and Cobden Street.

That name seems vaguely familiar somehow and yet to the best of my knowledge she didn't live near the water tower. I was born there in 1945 and lived there until 1971 and she most definately did not live in the houses adjacent to the tower in that period or since. There was a lady who lived further up Southworth Road who I am fairly certain worked at the place you mention but that wasn't her name

I am obviously getting mixed up. I wasn't really sure to be honest as it was such a long time ago in the late 50's early 60's .

[ron knight]

The aunt in question (I had two) was Miss Florence Walker. She was a staunch Methodist and was a member of the church council (the Leaders' Meeting) of Brunswick Methodist Church. I don't know specifically who she knew, she had a lot of contacts. I think maybe she just asked!

My aunt lived to the age of 95 and died in 1994.

[DH]

I remember the water tower very well and I'm sad to see it gone now.
Can anyone tell me if I am right in thinking that a lady by the name of Cora? Brown lived in the houses along side the water tower.
If I remember correctly she worked in the coop on the corner of High Street and Cobden Street.

That name seems vaguely familiar somehow and yet to the best of my knowledge she didn't live near the water tower. I was born there in 1945 and lived there until 1971 and she most definately did not live in the houses adjacent to the tower in that period or since. There was a lady who lived further up Southworth Road who I am fairly certain worked at the place you mention but that wasn't her name

I am obviously getting mixed up. I wasn't really sure to be honest as it was such a long time ago in the late 50's early 60's .

I was asking someone else the other day if the name Cora Brown rang any bells with them and it was suggested that that was the name of a lady who was a hairdresser in Mercer Street.

[DH]

The aunt in question (I had two) was Miss Florence Walker. She was a staunch Methodist and was a member of the church council (the Leaders' Meeting) of Brunswick Methodist Church. I don't know specifically who she knew, she had a lot of contacts. I think maybe she just asked!

My aunt lived to the age of 95 and died in 1994.

What a fabulous long life your aunt had Ron. I don't recall her name but she must have dropped lucky because the powers that be didn't let folk go up there easily, don't think there were ever more than a couple of people a year allowed up there. It was a very strange exerience as the lighting was poor, you never knew if a step would be missing or loose and going through the tank part in almost complete darkness was something else with cobwebs and spiders hitting you in the face as you climbed but it was all worth while when you came out at the top as the views were amazing.

[marge]

Hello DH
Thanks for jogging my memory .I do remember Cora Brown being a hairdresser now you have mentioned it. I lived on Mercer Street as a child and I remember going to have my hair cut by her but for some reason I am sure I went to one of the houses on High Street opposite what was then Randall's Nursery.

[Steven Dowd]

I bought this postcard a few days ago, quite a clear view of the old Water Tower





Steven Dowd

[bob]

hi Steve, nice pic of the tower, may i go a bit deeper into this subject as it may give me some more answers to other subjects on the forum, question! where does Newton get its water from, in the past i have read that Lady Hill Dam burst its banks, and it was a water supply for Newton, i have just read that a 10 to 15 inch pipe was laid from Dean Woods to Mill Lane in about 1965, i have read that a spring was in the area of the tower, and a spring was in Golborne hollows, and near to Dean dam itself was a spring, what we need is an Ex Water board employee to do an history of the water supply and courses rivers and streams in this area, has anyone ever come across a map of water systems in the area,
bob

[Steven Dowd]

I have not got any recent water supply detail, I was under the impression our water is still pumped from the same deep wells, but to be honest, I have no idea.

Steven Dowd