Topic ID 3591
I have been lent some old photos of the tower when it was in Tower Street and one of the "new" tower with the old one in the distance, long before The Avenue etc were built. Thought they might be of interest. [img]../images/forum/water_tower1.jpg[/img] [img]../images/forum/water_tower2.jpg[/img]
Reply ID 52528
Great photo's... what a shame the old tower isn't still standing, it would have made a wonderful house. When was the the new tower built and the old one demolished?
Reply ID 52531
We think the 1930's but not sure, the old one couldn't cope with all the new housing being built at that time. You can just see the houses in Duncombe Road but there don't seem to be any houses in The Drive and I know they were built from 1935 onwards, the Allotments / Onion patch at the top of The Drive where The Avenue (new part) Cowper Cres etc are was not built on till 1960's
Reply ID 52545
Thank you so much for sharing these Marylin. What a fantastic building the old tower was and what a shame it got knocked down. Thirty or so years later and it would have been listed. Was it right on the corner of Duncombe Road and Tower Street? because curiously the site doesn't appear to have been built on to this day. There are still old iron railings along there too, possibly the ones in the photo? Arty's a keen photographer and lives nearby. Must ask him if he took the originals!
Reply ID 52547
quote:Yes thats exactly where it was, it must have been deomlished before the 2nd world war as I can remeber the air raid shelter and wrning siren there. As you say it is now an empty space and the 2 bungalows were built not sure if it took up that whole area but I think it must have done.
Originally posted by dennismoore
Thank you so much for sharing these Marylin. What a fantastic building the old tower was and what a shame it got knocked down. Thirty or so years later and it would have been listed. Was it right on the corner of Duncombe Road and Tower Street? because curiously the site doesn't appear to have been built on to this day. There are still old iron railings along there too, possibly the ones in the photo? Arty's a keen photographer and lives nearby. Must ask him if he took the originals!
Reply ID 52930
Brilliant photos I am doing a booklet with some local residents and would love to use the photos you have posted on the site
quote:
Originally posted by Marilyn
I have been lent some old photos of the tower when it was in Tower Street and one of the "new" tower with the old one in the distance, long before The Avenue etc were built. Thought they might be of interest. [img]../images/forum/water_tower1.jpg[/img] [img]../images/forum/water_tower2.jpg[/img]
Reply ID 52938
Hi Janet If you like to contact me via a PM we can get together, I have a few others of people and know someone who may have more of landmarks
Reply ID 52946
Hi Marilyn It would be great if we could use these photos and others like it Janice
Reply ID 53229
Hopefully another picture will be here if admin can do it for me. Taken I think early 1930's just after the tower was built . I believe this was taken from the top of the old tower in Tower Street. [img]../images/forum/new_tower_distance0188.jpg[/img] Thanks Admin!!
Reply ID 53403
These are great pictures, I have often wondered about the water tower - what is the purpose of the tower? Does it supply water to all Bengeo residents?
Reply ID 53406
Yep help to get it up the hill I think, there is also one in ware not as nice as ours in my opinion!
Reply ID 53966
I was wondering if anyone has any photos taken from the top of the tower? Also has anyone been inside and could describe what it is like ? Thanks Joe.
Reply ID 53968
quote:Wet [:D]
Originally posted by Joe Also has anyone been inside and could describe what it is like ?
Reply ID 53979
quote:My dad went up during the war fire watching, he tells me you can see for miles, but never seen a photos taken from up there and I understand it is difficult to get permission to go up these days.
Originally posted by Joe
I was wondering if anyone has any photos taken from the top of the tower? Also has anyone been inside and could describe what it is like ? Thanks Joe.
Reply ID 60981
Sorry it's taken me so long to replay to your answers business issues got in the way. Leo: Yup I guess it would be very wet inside. Many years ago in my younger days I did manage to get to the base of the tower from the garages (?) on Lyshill Gardens/The Avenue. There was a hole in the fence and after battling the the stinging nettles made it to the base. There was quite a bit of water around the "front door" so I can only imagine what it's like inside. Marilyn: I can only imagine how good the view is from up there. I estimate that the tower is some 60m in height. I have been trying to find out who now handles the BBC sites as it seems that they have passed through several companies, may now be Arqiva. I am hoping to get permission for when I am next over in the UK. If I'm successfull I will post the photos here. I do have a photo looking at the tower : [img]http://www.4freeimagehost.com/uploads/15f067374f40.jpg[/img]
Reply ID 60986
quote:If you get permission let me know, I live almost next door so might come up with you!! There were Water board men there the other day and I don't think even they knew how to get in, they were standing at the gate scrathing their head, obviously not been given the key!
Originally posted by Joe
Sorry it's taken me so long to replay to your answers business issues got in the way. Leo: Yup I guess it would be very wet inside. Many years ago in my younger days I did manage to get to the base of the tower from the garages (?) on Lyshill Gardens/The Avenue. There was a hole in the fence and after battling the the stinging nettles made it to the base. There was quite a bit of water around the "front door" so I can only imagine what it's like inside. Marilyn: I can only imagine how good the view is from up there. I estimate that the tower is some 60m in height. I have been trying to find out who now handles the BBC sites as it seems that they have passed through several companies, may now be Arqiva. I am hoping to get permission for when I am next over in the UK. If I'm successfull I will post the photos here. I do have a photo looking at the tower : [img]http://www.4freeimagehost.com/uploads/15f067374f40.jpg[/img]
Reply ID 60990
quote:It's no wonder that people cannot get Channel 5 in Hertford on analogue TV. Look at the puny aerials. [;)]
Originally posted by Marilynquote:If you get permission let me know, I live almost next door so might come up with you!! There were Water board men there the other day and I don't think even they knew how to get in, they were standing at the gate scrathing their head, obviously not been given the key!
Originally posted by Joe
Sorry it's taken me so long to replay to your answers business issues got in the way. Leo: Yup I guess it would be very wet inside. Many years ago in my younger days I did manage to get to the base of the tower from the garages (?) on Lyshill Gardens/The Avenue. There was a hole in the fence and after battling the the stinging nettles made it to the base. There was quite a bit of water around the "front door" so I can only imagine what it's like inside. Marilyn: I can only imagine how good the view is from up there. I estimate that the tower is some 60m in height. I have been trying to find out who now handles the BBC sites as it seems that they have passed through several companies, may now be Arqiva. I am hoping to get permission for when I am next over in the UK. If I'm successfull I will post the photos here. I do have a photo looking at the tower : [img]http://www.4freeimagehost.com/uploads/15f067374f40.jpg[/img]
Reply ID 61085
quote:If you mean the long periodics at the front I believe they was used to transmit the signal for the local tv service until it closed down. Obviously nobody bothered to remove the aerials. This is where I got the photo and info from http://www.4freeimagehost.com/uploads/15f067374f40.jpg[/img]
Originally posted by James007quote:It's no wonder that people cannot get Channel 5 in Hertford on analogue TV. Look at the puny aerials. [;)]
Originally posted by Marilynquote:If you get permission let me know, I live almost next door so might come up with you!! There were Water board men there the other day and I don't think even they knew how to get in, they were standing at the gate scrathing their head, obviously not been given the key!
Originally posted by Joe
Sorry it's taken me so long to replay to your answers business issues got in the way. Leo: Yup I guess it would be very wet inside. Many years ago in my younger days I did manage to get to the base of the tower from the garages (?) on Lyshill Gardens/The Avenue. There was a hole in the fence and after battling the the stinging nettles made it to the base. There was quite a bit of water around the "front door" so I can only imagine what it's like inside. Marilyn: I can only imagine how good the view is from up there. I estimate that the tower is some 60m in height. I have been trying to find out who now handles the BBC sites as it seems that they have passed through several companies, may now be Arqiva. I am hoping to get permission for when I am next over in the UK. If I'm successfull I will post the photos here. I do have a photo looking at the tower : [img]http://www.4freeimagehost.com/uploads/15f067374f40.jpg[/img]
Reply ID 61086
quote:Will do. I am hoping to get over to the UK sometime this year, I just don't know exactly when though.
Originally posted by Marilynquote:If you get permission let me know, I live almost next door so might come up with you!! There were Water board men there the other day and I don't think even they knew how to get in, they were standing at the gate scrathing their head, obviously not been given the key!
Originally posted by Joe
Sorry it's taken me so long to replay to your answers business issues got in the way. Leo: Yup I guess it would be very wet inside. Many years ago in my younger days I did manage to get to the base of the tower from the garages (?) on Lyshill Gardens/The Avenue. There was a hole in the fence and after battling the the stinging nettles made it to the base. There was quite a bit of water around the "front door" so I can only imagine what it's like inside. Marilyn: I can only imagine how good the view is from up there. I estimate that the tower is some 60m in height. I have been trying to find out who now handles the BBC sites as it seems that they have passed through several companies, may now be Arqiva. I am hoping to get permission for when I am next over in the UK. If I'm successfull I will post the photos here. I do have a photo looking at the tower : [img]http://www.4freeimagehost.com/uploads/15f067374f40.jpg[/img]
Reply ID 61088
quote:OK - enough replies with the humungous photo of the thing included now...[:I]
Originally posted by Joequote:Will do. I am hoping to get over to the UK sometime this year, I just don't know exactly when though.
Originally posted by Marilynquote:If you get permission let me know, I live almost next door so might come up with you!! There were Water board men there the other day and I don't think even they knew how to get in, they were standing at the gate scrathing their head, obviously not been given the key!
Originally posted by Joe
Sorry it's taken me so long to replay to your answers business issues got in the way. Leo: Yup I guess it would be very wet inside. Many years ago in my younger days I did manage to get to the base of the tower from the garages (?) on Lyshill Gardens/The Avenue. There was a hole in the fence and after battling the the stinging nettles made it to the base. There was quite a bit of water around the "front door" so I can only imagine what it's like inside. Marilyn: I can only imagine how good the view is from up there. I estimate that the tower is some 60m in height. I have been trying to find out who now handles the BBC sites as it seems that they have passed through several companies, may now be Arqiva. I am hoping to get permission for when I am next over in the UK. If I'm successfull I will post the photos here. I do have a photo looking at the tower : [img]http://www.4freeimagehost.com/uploads/15f067374f40.jpg[/img]
Reply ID 61091
stupid question, but does this thing still contain water?
Reply ID 61114
quote:Well Marilyn said that teh waterboard people where there the other day, just forgot there keys, so I assume that yes it still contains water.
Originally posted by thefair1973
stupid question, but does this thing still contain water?
Reply ID 61116
Just out of curiosity, if I don't have any luck with the TV engineers, what water company is in charge of the supply there ? I think it use to be Thames water but I'm going back some 10 years.
Reply ID 61121
I don't know whether there is any water in the tower, but I know the water for Bengeo comes from Tonwell, the nice lady that tested my tap water told me, I think the tap water in Bengeo is the best around.
Reply ID 61124
quote:There certainly was 18 months ago... [url]http://www.buildingtalk.com/news/sik/sik190.html[/url]
Originally posted by furrybunny
I don't know whether there is any water in the tower, but I know the water for Bengeo comes from Tonwell, the nice lady that tested my tap water told me, I think the tap water in Bengeo is the best around.
Reply ID 61145
I am pretty sure it is Three Valleys vans that usually come to it. I hope there is water in it by the number of vans that go up there from time to time!
Reply ID 61156
I believe that the Tunwell treatment works treats the water for Hertford although I don’t know if that is the only supply for the town. Mole wood pumping station is still in operation so I wonder if water is pumped to the tower for storage and distribution. Is the mains water supply at a high pressure in homes on the mole wood estate[?]
Reply ID 69384
Well I wasn't able to get over there for the summer so unfortunatly no pics. Also Three Valleys said "officially" that due to H&S concern's only staff are allowed to enter. Though the person I contacted did mention "unofficially" that maybe asking a engineer that is on site, they may let you go up with them [;)]
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