Munstead Water Tower

The tower consisted of six levels with a timber stair bolted to the inside of the external walls on three sides of the tower, with quarter landings at each level. On the fifth floor there was a steel-riveted tank 30ft in diameter. The 20ft high external turret on the North West side contains a Victorian spiral staircase which provided access around the tank and onto the roof. There were four cast iron pipes running from the ground to fifth floor level to supply the tank, which held approximately 40,000 gallons of water. I bought the building without planning or listed building consent which was a huge gamble. Planning approval and listed building consent was finally granted a year later after I had managed to win an appeal for the crucial relaxation of the 'Means of Escape' requirements, which had previously been the main stumbling block. The building works took seven years to complete.