Grimsby Dock Tower
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Grimsby Dock Tower is a famous maritime landmark in North East Lincolnshire, England. It was built in 1867 with the purpose of containing a 30,000 UK gallon (136 m³) water reservoir, which was originally used to provide hydraulic power to the lock gates and cranes of Grimsby Docks. The tower was designed by Mr J W Wild and was based around the design of the Palazzo Pubblico in Sienna. It was built under the supervision of Mr J M Rendell, who was engineer in charge of construction of the Royal Dock. The tower was opened by Queen Victoria.
The tower is 309 ft (94 m) high, 28 ft (8.5 m) wide at the base, tapers gradually to 26 ft (8 m) below the first projection and its walls are 4 ft (1.2 m) thick, narrow to 3 ft (0.9 m) at the string course under the corbels, and Grade I listed.
Local legend has it that the tower was built on a foundation of cotton wool, in reality bales of sheep's wool were used to absorb water that could not be bailed out from the foundations. It is believed the bales were left in the foundations during construction. During the Second World War, there were plans to demolish the tower, as it acted as a beacon for German Luftwaffe heading towards Liverpool.
In 1900, accumulator towers were introduced - whereby the water pressure was created by compressing the water with a 300 tonne weight. This effectively spelled the end to practical use of the tower.
A plaque has been placed on the bricks paying tribute to the minesweeper crews of World War II, but for many Grimbarians, the tower will remain the true monument to the town's maritime heritage.
The tower no longer has any commercial use, although twice a year people abseil down the side to raise money for charity by the Grimsby Rotary Club. It is possible to climb the structure to see the amazing views over the whole of Grimsby and Cleethorpes though it is generally not open to the public.
There is a model of the Grimsby Dock Tower entirely constructed of Lego, at Legoland in Windsor. While the tower itself is correct, a large building has been incorrectly added to the base of the tower.
