Carnforth: the water tower is a Grade II listed building in the Lancaster local planning authority area, England. First listed on 15 February 1989. Water tower.

Carnforth: the water tower

WRENN ID
broken-moat-bittern
Grade
II
Local Planning Authority
Lancaster
Constituency
Morecambe and Lunesdale MP: Lizzi Collinge (Lab)
Country
England
Date first listed
15 February 1989
Type
Water tower
OS grid reference
SD 495 707
Coordinates
54.12967, -2.77346
Source
Historic England listing

Also on this page: flood risk · radon risk · weather exposure · detailed attributes ↓

Description

The water tower at Carnforth was operational by April 1940 for the London Midland Scottish Railway. It is constructed from welded sheet steel panels supported by a steel girder framework. The water tank is made from unusually small steel panels, welded together to create a shallow, rectangular tank measuring approximately 8 meters by 16 meters. This tank is supported by horizontal steel girders elevated on tall steel posts that are cross-braced. The framework for the curved roof of the tank still exists, although the covering is missing. The water tower also retains its access ladder and walkways used for maintenance.

Local climate

Carnforth: the water tower sits in one of the wettest parts of the UK, with an average of 1,400 mm of rain a year. This makes it wetter than 97% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is greater than that of 98% of listed buildings.

It experiences an average of 28 freeze-thaw cycles a year, fewer than 69% of listed buildings. Of these, 12 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.

Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.

More on this building

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  • Weather exposure and heating demand — rain and frost month by month and year by year, wind direction, solar and humidity
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Nearby listed buildings

  1. Carnforth: the coaling plant Grade II* 36 m
  2. Carnforth: the ash plant Grade II* 77 m
  3. Carnforth: the former wagon repair workshop Grade II 98 m
  4. Carnforth: the former Selside signal box Grade II 143 m
  5. Carnforth: engine shed and associated facilities including the locomotive turntable Grade II* 158 m
  6. Former signal box, north end of platform at Carnforth Station, NGR SD 49692 70834 Grade II 192 m
  7. Carnforth Station Junction Signal Box Grade II 246 m
  8. Christ Church Grade II 393 m
  9. 10, North Road Grade II 409 m
  10. Nos 1 and 2 Hagg Cottages and Hagg Farmhouse Grade II 416 m