The Old Water Tower

The Old Water Tower, dated 1886, is a square structure built from Purbeck Stone, designed in a medieval military style. It has three stages. The center stage features two round-headed windows on the north and east faces. On the east face, between the windows, is a date stone marked "1886." Above this, below the parapet, is a stone inscribed with "239 ft above sea level." Just above that is a plain ashlar stone panel that reads "Swanage Water Works," although the lettering has faded over time. The top stage of the tower includes two narrow slit windows on each face, and the parapet is adorned with battlements above a projecting string course. A circular projecting turret with a seagull weather vane is located in one corner. Attached to the south of the tower is a single-storey block with Purbeck Stone walls and roof. The eaves gutters of this block discharge into shaped stone chutes. It has two round-headed windows in the south gable wall, while the east wall features a large door opening and a segmental-headed window. The tower is no longer in use as a water tower.