Former Water Pump House, North Third Water Filter Plant

Dated 1931, with filtration plant mechanical equipment designed by Paterson Candy International for Grangemouth Town Council. Closed 1975, equipment upgraded 1985, site re-opened 1989 and finally closed 2000, sold into private ownership 2006. Monumental, 2-storey over raised battered basement, 4-bay, rectangular-plan, Italianate style former pump house with pyramidally-roofed, 4 stage, finialled angle tower. Prominently sited on hills to N of North Third Reservoir, with little altered interior and rare retention of early rapid gravity filters. Dry dash over brick and concrete construction. Banded cill courses and eaves course. Broad doorpiece with raised margin and moulded plaque with 'GWW 1931'. Square-headed windows at ground and semicircular windows at 1st floor, tower windows and that to SE all tripartite with concrete mullions, in full-height recessed bays. Concrete basement walls almost 2" thick.

FURTHER DESCRIPTION: entrance elevation to NW with dominant tower projecting at outer left and comprising brick forestair leading to part-glazed, 2-leaf timber door rising through 1st (basement) and 2nd stages, windows to 3rd and 4th stages. Broad gabled elevation to SE with later door in large semicircular window and gunloop in gablehead. Regularly-fenestrated bays to NE and SW, latter with windows only at 1st floor. Concrete clad 'box' at NE basement for running water to storage tanks at S.

Multi-pane glazing pattern with hopper-type openings in metal windows. Grey slates with large horizontal rooflights. Roof with shallow overhang.

INTERIOR: good interior detail retained including glazed bricks throughout, those to window cills rounded, and voussoired over arches. Entrance hall with horizontal Art Deco style patterning to glazed bricks and mosaic tiled floor with Grangemouth Town Emblem 'INGENIUM VINCIT OMNIA' (slightly damaged). Ground floor with narrow room to NE containing filter outlets, controls and valves, large tanks (see 1st floor detail below) fill remaining space. Dog-leg staircase in tower. Tower room with water tank and complex metal roof structure supporting roof lined with Belgian pine. 1st floor open-plan with 3 settling/filter tanks (rapid gravity filters), pumping equipment, ironwork roof structure and Belgian pine roof lining.