Work at Westgate Water Tower starts today
Landscaping work to revamp a community space at the Westgate Water Tower is expected to start on site today.
Anglian Water has received planning permission to create a public space beneath the tower, which is already used by local residents as a dog walking and recreation area.
The company is creating the amenity as part of its flagship Strategic Pipeline Programme to safeguard water supplies in Lincolnshire for generations, while uncovering the city’s rich history.
The road Chapel Lane between the water tower and the Tower Hotel will be closed during landscaping with diversions in place to coincide with the repair works on Bailgate.
New underground equipment will be installed beneath the historic tower by Anglian Water’s Strategic Pipeline Alliance (SPA), which is building the hundreds of kilometres of pipeline from North Lincolnshire to Essex in an £11billion upgrade of its network.
Standing prominently in uphill Lincoln alongside the cathedral and castle, Westgate Tower is often mistaken as part of the latter as it resembles a medieval keep, but it is a much more recent addition to the city’s landscape.
It was opened in 1911 and was built as a direct result of Lincoln’s typhoid epidemic of 1904-05, during which 131 lives were lost and over 1000 cases were recorded. A new water system for the city was needed.
The Westgate Water Tower is part of a complex engineering feat being connected by a 22-mile pipeline, comprising 10,000 iron pipes, to an underground source of water for the city in Eckesley, near Retford in Nottinghamshire.
Archaeological digs are expected to start this summer and will be a rare opportunity to explore parts of the city that have remained untouched for more than a thousand years.
Allen Haigh, Senior Project Manager at SPA, said: “These works are an important part of strengthening the resilience of Lincoln’s water network, while also creating a new space for the community to spend recreational time in. We’re grateful for the residents’ patience while we carry out this work, and we’ll continue to provide regular updates, including on any finds that we uncover during the archaeological dig.”
Construction on the site will start in summer 2027 and the company said water supplies will remain unaffected throughout the project.
Anglian Water added that a few trees will need to be removed and replaced for safety reasons as part of the company's new planting plan, designed to create thriving habitats and boost biodiversity across Lincoln.
To facilitate safe access during construction the front wrought iron railings and stonework surrounding the tower will be removed and restored off-site, before being returned alongside additional fencing on Chapel Lane.