Building record 3320/3/4 - The Water Tower

Water tower. Dated 1865. Supervising Architect Sir Matthew Digby Wyatt. Part of the improvements carried out at Castle Ashby by the 3rd Marquis of Northampton. Coursed limestone rubble with limestone dressings, concrete and lead roofs. Square tower with octagonal stair turret to south-west angle, which has an extra stage.

{1} Water tower. Dated 1865. Supervising Architect Sir Matthew Digby Wyatt. Part of the improvements carried out at Castle Ashby by the 3rd Marquis of Northampton. Coursed limestone rubble with limestone dressings, concrete and lead roofs. Square tower with octagonal stair turret to south-west angle, which has an extra stage. Approximately 75 feet to top of turret. Bottom stage has a batter and tall archway leading from courtyard on west side of Castle Ashby, to a formal walk at west end of terrace running down to the park. Round-headed arch with tall keyblock and imposts, supported by console brackets. Narrow door to stair-turret to left of archway with segmental-arched head. 3rd stage has a belvedere room with pairs of round-arched windows to each side and stone balconies below supported by moulded stone brackets. Windows are divided by a shaft and have plate-glass sashes. Pieced balustrade to balconies. Top stage containing tanks has corbel table and large keyed roundels to each. Re-moulded stone surrounds, containing pierced stone monogram of Charles 3rd Marquis of Northampton and his wife Theodosia. Pierced parapet to turret and lettered parapet to lower with date 1865 to courtyard side and family motto NISI DOMINUS to other sides. A single-storey link joins tower to single-storey wings flanking court to west side of Castle Ashby (q.v.). The tallest building of the Castle Ashby complex and something of a landmark.

{4}{6} Four storey square stone tower with a smaller staircase tower projecting from one corner was built in 1865 as part of the improved water supply for the estate. On the top is a balustrade with lettering matching that around the top of the mansion. Photo.

{5} West of the house are C17 and later service courts with stables (most listed grade II). With the exception of Sir Matthew Digby Wyatt’s water tower of 1865 (listed grade II) these are well hidden from the house and gardens.

{7} Undated photo;

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 13/20 (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), F12 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN45262.

<3> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<4> Northamptonshire Industrial Archaeology Group, 2001, A Guide To The Industrial Heritage Of Northamptonshire, Site 59 (checked) (Gazetteer). SNN104759.

<5> English Heritage, 1994, Register of Parks & Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England (1994, Northamptonshire), (unchecked) (Report). SNN1324.

<6> Northamptonshire Industrial Archaeology Group, 2011, A Guide To The Industrial Heritage of Northamptonshire (2nd Edition), Site 61 (checked) (Gazetteer). SNN107622.

<7> Photographs of buildings in Castle Ashby (Photographs). SNN111838.

Record last edited

Aug 4 2021 3:59PM