engineer Charles Clegg.
Standing 110 feet high, Jumbo (or Balkerne Water Tower as it is more properly named) is the largest remaining Victorian water tower in Britain.It was built in 1882 by borough surveyor and engineer Charles Clegg in the Romanesque Revival “Campanile” style.
Who owns Jumbo Water Tower Colchester?
The building’s owner, Paul Flatman, has agreed to lease the Grade ll* listed water tower to North Essex Heritage for 150 years, helping kickstart the long-awaited project to restore the disused Victorian tower and bring it into a financially sustainable use.
Who built jumbo?
Charles Clegg
Entirely by coincidence, Jumbo was constructed in twenty months – the gestation period of an elephant! The young Borough engineer, Charles Clegg, originally designed the water tower with a round tank (See drawing below).
When was the Jumbo water tower in Colchester built?
Jumbo Water Tower was built in 1883 and once provided clean water to Colchester Town Centre. Today it stands empty and is no longer open to the public, but it still a great source of civic pride to local residents.
When was Jumbo built?
The Balkerne water tower, known affectionately as ‘Jumbo’, is the best of its type in England. Built in 1884 Jumbo was both ambitious and dramatic. It is probably Colchester’s best-loved landmark.
Did the Romans build Colchester?
The Romans landed in Britain in 43 CE. They built a fortress in what is now Colchester and six years later they created a colonia (permanent settlement of army veterans) here.
Where is UK water come from Colchester?
In Colchester, a private water supply is any supply that is not provided by Veolia, Essex and Suffolk Water or Anglian Water. The source of water may be from a well, borehole or spring.
Why is Jumbo called Jumbo?
Jumbo was exported to Jardin des Plantes, a zoo in Paris, and then transferred in 1865 to London Zoo in England. Despite public protest, Jumbo was sold to P. T. Barnum, who took him to the United States for exhibition in March 1882. The giant elephant’s name spawned the common word “jumbo,” meaning large in size.
Who bought Jumbo?
Barnum
Barnum to buy Jumbo for £2,000 (equivalent to around £220,800 today), which the Zoo accepted. Despite the public outcry, Jumbo left the Zoo, accompanied by Matthew Scott, on 22 March in 1882, travelling across the Atlantic to join the Barnum & Bailey Circus in the U.S.
Why is Jumbo famous?
Jumbo was the first African elephant anyone in North America had ever seen. Over his lifetime it is estimated that more than 20 million people came to visit him. But very little was known about elephants in the late 1800’s, and since his death questions have been raised about how he was treated.
Is Colchester older than London?
Historically speaking, the oldest recorded town in Britain is that of Colchester. This historic market town resides in the county of Essex, north east of London, on the eastern coast of England. Dating back over 2,000 years, it was once thought to be the capital of Roman Britain.
What did the Saxons call Colchester?
The Saxons called the town Colneceaste, and Domesday Book (1086) mentions it as Colcestra. The town’s first charter was given in 1189. Colchester’s castle keep (built about 1080) is the largest of its kind in England and now houses a museum of Romano-British antiquities.
Are there Roman ruins in Colchester?
As well as the surviving ruins, which have stood for thousands of years, Roman Colchester is also celebrated in more modern ways, from a cutting-edge exhibition, De-coding the Roman Dead, currently running at the Castle Museum to the informative Roman Circus Visitor Centre, or brand new walking trails for adults and
How did Jumbo start?
Jumbo was reportedly a very small baby elephant, a runt until he reached the age of about 5 or so. After spending time in a Paris animal menagerie and then at the London Zoo, Jumbo was later sold to the circus.
Who named Jumbo?
Origins of the word “jumbo”
The word “jumbo” may have been carried back to England in the early 19th Century by explorers or hunters in Angola. Jolly (1976) comments that the name “Jumbo” was probably given to the young African elephant at the Zoological Gardens in London by Superintendent A.D. Bartlett in 1865.
Which Essex town has a Victorian water tower?
This municipal water tower was opened in 1883. The brick and ironwork is of local design and construction. The tower is about 33 meters high and can hold 230,000 gallons of water.
Is Colchester the oldest town in England?
Thanks to the Roman scholar Pliny the Elder, Colchester – then called Camulodunum – became Britain’s first recorded settlement, and later its first city and capital.
What is the oldest building in Colchester?
Holy Trinity Church is the oldest surviving building in Colchester. The church is located on Trinity Street opposite the town library. Parts of the church tower are believed to date to around 1050 (the Anglo-Saxon period), pre-dating Colchester Castle (c.
Is Colchester the oldest Roman town?
Colchester – Why Britain’s First City? In AD49 Colchester was the first place in Britain to be given the status of a Roman Colonia.
Where is the hardest water in UK?
In the UK, water tends to be hardest in the South East and London, the Midlands and eastern Wales. As you move further north into northern England and Scotland, the water becomes much softer. The South West of England, western Wales and Northern Ireland also tend to have very soft water.
What are people from Colchester called?
The demonym is Colcestrian. Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital.