Gawthorpe Water Tower: The West Yorkshire community campaigning to save a beloved Grade II listed water tower
Residents are campaigning to restore Gawthorpe Water Tower amidst fears that the historic landmark will fall into ruin.
“A number of us locally have become increasingly concerned about the condition of Gawthorpe Water Tower,” says Chris Burley, 47, who has organised the local campaign.
“It is a Grade II listed landmark and will reach its centenary in 2028. There is a real feeling that we have a relatively short window to make sure something positive happens rather than simply watching it continue to deteriorate,” he says.
Located on Chidswell Lane, the 55m tower is currently inaccessible to the public, but remains a beloved landmark on the West Yorkshire skyline.
According to the National Heritage List, the now-disused tower was instrumental in supplying public water to Gawthorpe and its surrounding areas. On December 4, 2020, it was officially granted Grade II listed status, with Historic England praising its “elegant neoclassical design.”
“People have memories of the tower going back generations,” Chris says, “and because it can be seen from such a wide area, it has become part of the identity of Gawthorpe, Ossett and the surrounding communities.”
In a statement, Yorkshire Water told The Yorkshire Post: “We understand how important Gawthorpe Water Tower is as a historic and treasured landmark to the local community.”
The Yorkshire Water spokesperson confirmed that the organisation is undertaking a specialist structural survey “to assess the requirements to maintain the tower to a continued safe standard and the costs associated with this.”
They added that, as a network asset, the tower is subject to “strict health and safety and access procedures.”
Yorkshire Water declined to comment on whether it would share maintenance responsibilities with local organisations in the foreseeable future.
Local campaigners are keen to help. “We just want to try and raise awareness and raise some funds for it,” Chris says, adding that there are “a couple of local businesses who are willing to put their hand in their pocket.”
“The objective is to bring Yorkshire Water, Wakefield Council, heritage organisations and the local community together and find a realistic route to protect and restore the tower,” he says.