Water Tower Scaffolding

John Knight · Post by **John Knight** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 9:40 pm

I see that there is scaffolding at the top half of the Water Tower and am wondering if any member here knows when it is scheduled to be removed.
The reason I ask is because I have a ticket for a 'Hot Air Balloon' flight. If we can get the right wind direction to track over the school it would be better to wait for the scaffolding to be removed before we fly - It would spoil the photographs of the very place I used to go with my 'master key' - all those years ago - Ha!
John

Great Plum · Post by **Great Plum** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 8:46 am

I think it is quite a long term project - I believe that the water tanks inside the tower have become rusty and were threatening to come away from the walls which could bring the whole thing down...

John Knight · Post by **John Knight** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 6:45 pm

Great Plum wrote:I think it is quite a long term project - I believe that the water tanks inside the tower have become rusty and were threatening to come away from the walls which could bring the whole thing down...

Thanks for the information Matt, I guess I will just have to go ahead as the ticket is only valid for another six months or so...
If I remember correctly, it was a long time ago, the sides of the steel tanks had quite a big space between them and the inside wall of the tower. There are two tanks, one above the other supported on steel beams. - I wonder if they are cutting holes in the brickwork to get inside to do the patching.
I remember the first time I climbed up there, quite frightening with all water (and adrenalin) pumping...
John.

ben ashton · Post by **ben ashton** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 6:49 pm

is water still kept up there? i know about the height=pressure thing, but i thought that houses would have their own systems by now?

darthmaul · Post by **darthmaul** » Sun Feb 12, 2006 5:59 pm

I believe water has not been kept up there for a few years - they drained it when they realised it would be unnecessary, owing to the internal systems run throughout the school.

Of course, Sharpenhurst is also empty...has anyone been in it? I think perhaps it is a goal to be achieved...

Great Plum · Post by **Great Plum** » Mon Feb 13, 2006 9:24 am

darthmaul wrote:I believe water has not been kept up there for a few years - they drained it when they realised it would be unnecessary, owing to the internal systems run throughout the school.

Of course, Sharpenhurst is also empty...has anyone been in it? I think perhaps it is a goal to be achieved...

Lots of people went to Sharpenhurst in the past - I believe they have now concreted over the entrance...

As for the water tower, it may well be for the next 6 months...

Ruthie-Baby(old a/c) · Mon Feb 20, 2006 8:10 pm

Great Plum wrote:
darthmaul wrote:I believe water has not been kept up there for a few years - they drained it when they realised it would be unnecessary, owing to the internal systems run throughout the school.

Of course, Sharpenhurst is also empty...has anyone been in it? I think perhaps it is a goal to be achieved...
Lots of people went to Sharpenhurst in the past - I believe they have now concreted over the entrance...
As for the water tower, it may well be for the next 6 months...

That's terrible. It's one CH thing I never did and wish I had. There was a fantastic story about it on the web back in 97ish which could be found by searching for "Christ's Hospital" on Alta Vista. Don't know if it's still findable (yes, that's a word).

Great Plum · Post by **Great Plum** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 12:01 pm

Ruthie-Baby wrote:
Great Plum wrote:
darthmaul wrote:I believe water has not been kept up there for a few years - they drained it when they realised it would be unnecessary, owing to the internal systems run throughout the school.

Of course, Sharpenhurst is also empty...has anyone been in it? I think perhaps it is a goal to be achieved...
Lots of people went to Sharpenhurst in the past - I believe they have now concreted over the entrance...
As for the water tower, it may well be for the next 6 months...
That's terrible. It's one CH thing I never did and wish I had. There was a fantastic story about it on the web back in 97ish which could be found by searching for "Christ's Hospital" on Alta Vista. Don't know if it's still findable (yes, that's a word).

It's the one place that I nver went into and I wish I had!

westguncopse · Post by **westguncopse** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 6:52 pm

I hear that the work is expected to be finished in time for speech day. Although the work is vital (to stop it falling down!) it is another example of the money that the school is having to spend on matters not 'directly' related to the education of the children.

Ruthie-Baby(old a/c) · Tue Feb 21, 2006 8:40 pm

That's what happens when you have to look after a large site with 100+ year old buildings, I guess.

Moulam · Post by **Moulam** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 11:33 pm

as far as i knew the tanks were lead lined and they were taken out of use because of a worry of legionares desiese (unsure of spelling) and obviously because of the lead.

i believe that the steel supports are pulling severely on the inside of the building and are causing some quite serious damage. i believe that the tanks are being cut up and removed.

this is stuff i have heard from staff and others around site but i am unsure of how reliable it is.

as for how long it is going to be up i dont know anything other than it is long term.

John Knight · Post by **John Knight** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 9:18 am

Moulam wrote:as far as i knew the tanks were lead lined and they were taken out of use because of a worry of legionares desiese (unsure of spelling) and obviously because of the lead.

Thanks for the information 'Moulam'... very interesting.
I am surprised to hear you say that the tanks were lead lined as I would have thought the steel alone would have done the job OK. But, seeing that they were built a few years before the Titanic that maybe explains it.
So I guess that the scaffolding is there so they can knock holes in the sides of the tower to remove the pieces of the tanks as they cut them up.
John.

Moulam · Post by **Moulam** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 10:27 am

John Knight wrote:So I guess that the scaffolding is there so they can knock holes in the sides of the tower to remove the pieces of the tanks as they cut them up.

half of me agrees with this but common sense say take the tanks out from the inside to prevent having to put holes in building. so i am unsure of quite why, maybe there is some external problems that need to be sorted out using the scafolding. if i see a builder i will ask him/her for some info.

i do know that they were doing some work in the tube below the tower at the begining of the term and somhow caused a fire in the tube which is never a good idea as the gas pipes run down there.

mikef · Post by **mikef** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 11:39 pm

I left two years ago now and i know they were planning on re-pointing the brick ork as the tower was actually begining to lean to the left. so that may explain the scaffolding

Chammy · Post by **Chammy** » Fri Feb 24, 2006 1:06 am

are you meaning to tell me they had one of these on the water tower??!!?

no wonder it was going to fall down!