England’s tallest water tower set to be reworked in huge £9.5m mission | UK | News | EUROtoday

England’s tallest water tower is ready to reopen as a significant vacationer attraction after sitting unused for greater than 30 years. The 40-metre-high Balkerne Water Tower in Colchester, often known as Jumbo, is getting an enormous £9.5 million makeover. The iconic Grade II-listed construction shall be restored and changed into a brand new customer expertise, full with a restaurant, exhibition area and panoramic views of town.

Jumbo was inbuilt 1882 and is made out of greater than 1.25 million bricks and 142 tonnes of iron. At its peak, the Victorian tower may maintain over 1,100 tonnes of water and served town’s rising inhabitants. It final operated in 1984 and has remained empty ever since. The restoration mission is being led by North Essex Heritage, which secured a 150-year lease for the positioning in 2021. Since then, it has raised hundreds of thousands in funding to convey the tower again to life.

In January 2025, it was confirmed that Jumbo would obtain £8 million from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

This was adopted by £1.1 million in authorities grants and an additional £550,000 from Historic England, bringing the full to almost £9.5 million.

Speaking to BBC News, Simon Hall, chair of North Essex Heritage, stated the funding “significantly closes the gap” in prices.

He added: “It will provide Colchester with a fantastic accessible heritage asset, adding to Colchester’s attraction as a city and tourist destination.”

According to Colchester Council, the mission additionally consists of bettering the realm round close by Balkerne Gate, creating a brand new public area.

The council described Jumbo as a “beloved landmark” and stated the objective is to open the venue by 2027.

Plans authorised for the positioning describe an “immersive public exhibition” contained in the outdated water tank, which is able to inform the story of Jumbo’s historical past and engineering.

Visitors will even have the ability to get pleasure from 360-degree views of Colchester from the highest of the tower.

In addition to the exhibition, the tower will host occasions resembling weddings, personal events, banquets and ticketed reside leisure, with a capability of as much as 120 individuals, studies the Colchester Gazette.

Once full, Jumbo is predicted to grow to be one of many metropolis’s key heritage sights, becoming a member of Colchester Castle, its Roman partitions and much-loved zoo.