Water Tower

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A rectangular, two-stage disused water tower aligned N-S with its principal façade facing W. It is of cement-rendered brick, augmented with reinforced-concrete.

A slightly projecting flat concrete roof covers the reservoir contained within the upper stage. The tank is only accessible through a hatch in the roof, via a vertical galvanized steel ladder up the S side of the building. The bottom end of this ladder has been dismantled, probably in the interests of public safety as the site is now abandoned. The roof is surrounded by a two-bar tubular metal railing. Two metal ventilators are mounted on the roof. This upper stage is smooth rendered and delineated from the harled lower one by a plain string course around the building.

The W elevation contains a two-leaf tongue-and-groove timber entrance door. It is flanked to both sides by 2x3-paned metal casement windows mounted in timber frames. Each of these openings is set within a recessed panel and all have flat concrete heads; the windows also have concrete cills. Over the doorway is a cement-rendered panel with metal (bronze?) letters affixed thereto and reading: “Portadown & Banbridge/ Regional Waterworks/ Joint Board/ [date now missing]. A narrow stucco cornice runs across the top of this panel. Below the left-hand window is a covered pipe.

The N elevation is blank, as is the E one save for a metal casement window in the middle of its three recessed panels. A vertical cast-iron pipe runs up the right-hand side of this elevation; there appears to have been a timber cladding around it, perhaps as protection against frost. It was probably the water intake pipe to the tank from the adjoining reservoir; alternatively, it may have been an overflow pipe (see below).

The S elevation is devoid of openings. The aforementioned roof access ladder is affixed to it.

Immediately east of the tower and within the same plot is a grass-covered underground water reservoir, also abandoned. It has two galvanised steel inspection covers and a cast-iron pipe outlet, complete with manual butterfly valve.

Setting

The tank is located along the south side of a minor road near the top of a hill. The triangular plot of ground in which the tower and reservoir are situated is enclosed by a post and wire fence. On the north side of the road, opposite the tower, is a modern tarmac-covered service reservoir. It is overlooked to its immediate SE by Magherally Old Church (HB17/12/007). There is a much larger service tank, still in use, on the opposite side of the road.

Roof: concrete
Walling: brick
Windows: Timber
RWG: none

Historical information

This water tank and underground reservoir were erected in 1951 by the Portadown & Banbridge Regional Waterworks Joint Board.

This public body was constituted in 1946 and enlarged in 1948 to encompass representation from the Borough of Portadown, Urban Districts of Banbridge, Dromore and Newry, and Rural Districts of Banbridge, Downpatrick, Newry (No.1) and Tandragee. The Board’s first major action was to lay a water main from Fofanny Reservoir in the Mournes, near Rathfriland, to Portadown to augment the main laid in the early 1900s by the Portadown & Banbridge Joint Water Board.

This new pipe, known as the East Trunk Main, was constructed by direct labour between 1949 and 1951 under the supervision of the Board’s consulting engineers Messrs Ferguson & McIlveen. Minutes of the Board indicate that on 30th March 1949, during the course of this work, the Committee visited the site of a ‘break pressure tank’ at Magherally, the townland in which the structure under review is located. Pipelaying is also recorded as being under way in that locality in May of the same year. The minutes of 5th October 1950 also note a discussion of the transfer of land for a water gauge tank at Magherally. The minutes of 7th June 1951, note that a quotation had been received for the brickwork at Magherally gauge tank from Messrs Weir & Co, Portadown. The minutes of 10th July 1951 read: “Inscription Magherally Gauge Tank: It was suggested that as this was an elevated tank with visible brick work, an inscription should be incorporated in the brick work and it was decided that the full name of the Board and the year should appear”

Although the last pipe on the East Trunk Main was laid on 25th July 1951, some minor works remained. The minutes of 8th Nov 1951 note approval being given for the use of contract plasterers (as opposed to in-house staff) to plaster the gauge tanks.

Water finally flowed from Fofanny to Portadown along the new main on 3rd Feb 1952. There was no official opening ceremony, the reason given being to save any unnecessary expense to the public purse.

The minutes of 7th Feb 1952 note that the laying of a main from Magherally to Banbridge should be instigated as soon as possible, along with a new reservoir at Banbridge.

Just over four years later, on 18th May 1956, foundation stones were laid for a new reservoir at Spelga, and a water treatment works at Fofannybane. Both were officially opened on 30th June 1960, their supply being directed along the East Main and another main laid to Newry.

The precise technical function (or functions) of this tank is not fully understood. As noted above, the minutes variously refer to a ‘water gauge tank’ and ‘break pressure tank’ at Magherally.

The fact that the structure under review is elevated, of cement-rendered brick, and carries the Board’s name (but unfortunately no longer a date) on its façade concurs with it being the gauge tank cited in the July 1951 minutes. These seemingly imply that the tank was probably upstanding by then but not yet rendered.

The function of a break-pressure tank is to reduce the pressure of the water within the main and so minimise the likelihood of it bursting under excessive loading. The water pressure within the pipe as it approached Magherally would have been the difference in elevation between Fofannybane treatment works at Magherally minus the pressure loss due to friction along the pipe. A break-pressure tank resets the water pressure to atmospheric pressure, so that by the time it reached Portadown, the pressure was the difference between the elevation of Magherally and Portadown, less the pipe friction losses. Without the break tank, the net pressure between Fofannybane and Magherally would have been added to the pressure at Portadown.

In operation, the incoming main discharged into the top of the tank, its flow being regulated by a stop cock. Once in the tank, the water is at atmospheric pressure. The tank filled with water until the stop cock cut off the flow. Lower down the tank is a discharge pipe. As the water flowed out to continue its journey along the main, the level in the tank dropped. This activated the stop cock to open the intake valve to allow more water into the tank. Given that there was constant abstraction, there was also a continuous flow of water through the tank.

Having said that, the covered reservoir over which the tank sits could equally have served as a pressure-brake device without the need for an elevated tank as well. The tank may therefore have been simply a storage reservoir to meet local demand, being elevated to give enough pressure for the locality.

The original East Trunk Main was replaced in 1997-98 and the elevated tower and associated underground reservoir were declared surplus to requirements in 2001. The property was sold by public auction to a private buyer in 2008.

References
Primary sources:

1. PRONI OS/11/221/2/1. First edition OS 1:2500 IG map sheet 221-02 (1974).
2. PRONI: LA/64/27/AA/6. Minutes of the Portadown & Banbridge Regional Waterworks Joint Board, 1948-50.
3. PRONI: LA/64/27/AA/7. Minutes of the Portadown & Banbridge Regional Waterworks Joint Board, 1950-53.
4. PRONI: LA/64/27/AA/8. Minutes of the Portadown & Banbridge Regional Waterworks Joint Board, 1954-56.
5. Portadown and Banbridge Regional Waterworks Joint Board, ‘A brief history Portadown and Banbridge Regional Waterworks Joint Board’. In official programme to accompany opening of Spelga Dam and Fofannybane Filtration Works, 30 June 1960.

References

Secondary sources:

1. Mr Noel Patterson, Land & Property Division, Northern Ireland Water (March 2012).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Known as the Magherally Guage Tank, a brick and reinforced-concrete water tank and associated underground reservoir erected by the Portadown & Banbridge Regional Waterworks Joint Board in 1951 along the line of the East Trunk Main from Fofanny Reservoir to Portadown. Although its architecture is utilitarian, the tank’s prominence reflects its function in regulating the pressure of the mains water along the pipeline and to local users. The tank and underground reservoir are also of historical interest in their association with the 1950s water supply to Portadown and Banbridge.
Although a province-wide assessment of water towers has yet to be carried out, this is likely a scarce example of mid-20th century water tank technology. Consent granted 26 April 2012 granted for its demolition (planning application ref Q/2010/0468 'Replacement of disused wtaer tower with dwelling').

General comments

Planning consent for demolition has been granted 26-04-12; (Q/2010/0468/O); 70m west of 31 Kilmacrew Road, Banbridge, Co Down; Replacement of disused water tower with dwelling - JL/06-01-14