Cockfosters Water Tower facts for kids
The Cockfosters Water Tower is a really cool building in Cockfosters Road, north London. It sits right next to Trent Park and the Cockfosters Reservoir. This tower is special because of its unique shape, called a hyperboloid. It helps make sure homes in the area have fresh water!
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Discovering the Cockfosters Water Tower
What Does a Water Tower Do?
A water tower is like a giant storage tank for water, built high up. Water is pumped into the tower when there's less demand, like at night. Then, when people need more water, like in the morning, gravity helps push the water from the tower down into homes. This helps keep water pressure steady for everyone!
A Unique Design: The Hyperboloid Shape
The Cockfosters Water Tower was built in 1968. It has a very interesting shape called a hyperboloid. Imagine a tall, curvy shape that gets narrower in the middle and then wider again at the top and bottom. This design isn't just for looks! It's super strong and uses less material than other shapes. The tower is made from reinforced concrete, which is concrete with steel bars inside to make it even stronger. This amazing structure can hold a huge amount of water – about 1,130 cubic meters! That's like 1,130,000 liters of water!
Who Designed This Amazing Tower?
The clever person who designed the Cockfosters Water Tower was an architect named Edmund C. Percey. He worked for a company called Scherrer and Hicks. He worked alongside J.W. Milne, who was the chief engineer for the Lee Valley Water Company at the time. Together, they created this strong and unique building.
Who Owns the Tower?
When it was first built, the Lee Valley Water Company owned the tower. Over the years, it has been owned by a few different companies. First, it was owned by Three Valley Water, then by Veolia Water. As of 2016, the tower is owned by Affinity Water, which continues to use it to help supply water to the area.
More Than Just Water
While its main job is to store water, the Cockfosters Water Tower also has another important role today. If you look closely at the top of the tower, you'll see several mobile phone masts. These masts help send and receive signals, making sure people in the area can use their mobile phones.
Another Cool Tower by the Same Architect
Edmund C. Percey, the architect of the Cockfosters Water Tower, also designed another famous water tower. This one is called the Tonwell Water Tower, built in 1964. It's so special that it's considered a Grade II listed building, meaning it's protected because of its historical or architectural importance.
