The specialist heritage arm of Sir Robert McAlpine has been appointed for a £6m restoration of the largest surviving Victorian municipal water tower in England.
The Balkerne Water Tower in Colchester, known locally as ‘Jumbo’, was built in 1882 using around 1.25 million bricks and 142 tonnes of cast iron. It was decommissioned in 1984.
Once the works are complete, the Grade II*-listed building will open to the public and offer a visitor experience explaining the tower’s history.
The project has been commissioned by North Essex Heritage, which secured a 150-year lease on the building in 2021, and has backing from UK Government Funding, Colchester City Council, Historic England and The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Leveraging traditional skills
Pre-construction work is due to start on site this month (July), ahead of the main construction work, which is scheduled for December 2025.
Mike Coleman, operations director of Sir Robert McAlpine Special Projects, said: “We are delighted to have been appointed to help bring a much-loved asset of industrial heritage and part of Colchester’s rich history back into public use for the residents and visitors.
“Our team will be able to call upon years of experience in the heritage sector, leveraging traditional skills to retain the tower’s charm and character while bringing it up to the standards required of a modern-day attraction.”
Jason Lowe, project director at North Essex Heritage, said: “We look forward to working with a partner who understands what Jumbo means to Colchester and the importance of putting the community at the heart of what we do. Together we will transform this heritage icon to inspire, engage and serve the local community.”
