Bath Road Reservoir, Victorian water tower on Bath Road, Reading, England
Bath Road Reservoir is a Victorian water tower with red and blue patterned brickwork that houses a cast iron storage tank. The interior contains multiple rooms on different levels connected by stairs that lead to the upper storage section.
The tower was built in 1850 by Reading Union Water Company to supply filtered water to the expanding town. It formed part of the infrastructure that modernized water delivery systems during the 19th century.
The water tower represents Victorian-era engineering and shows how cities organized their water systems in the 1800s. Visitors can observe how such structures were central to urban development and public health improvements during that period.
The structure is easily visible from the street and located in a residential area with good public access. Visitors should check current access conditions beforehand, as interior visits may not always be available.
The site contains underground water storage facilities completely hidden beneath vegetation that provides habitat for local wildlife. This hidden engineering shows how Victorian builders incorporated storage capacity beneath the surface rather than only above ground.
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