Description and History of Site:-
The importance of Skegness Water Tower is not the tower as such but the innovative technique used to correct the tilt of 27in (685mm) out of plumb it developed shortly after being filled for the first time.

By 1926 the town's original water tower (a brick tower with an iron tank, on the same site and now also demolished) had become inadequate and a new 110ft (33.5m) high 200,000 gallon (900 cu m) reinforced concrete tower was constructed by the Industrial Construction Company on the "Intze" principle to replace it. The tower foundation was not piled, a 58ft(17.67m) dia raft foundation at a depth of 5ft (1.52m) being used. Shortly after filling differential settlement, caused by a lens of soft peat not identified by the single borehole, occurred. To correct the tilt a ring of sheet piling was installed around the base and the soft ground was extracted via boreholes until the tilt has been corrected.

The technique proved wholly successful and the tower remained until demolished in 1981.

A very similar technique was used to correct the tilt on the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Further Reading and References:-
https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MLI43330&resourceID=1006
Barton B, Water Towers of Britain, Newcomen Society,2003, p157
Ruck FWM, The Leaning Tower of Skegness, 1952, Vol 35 No43 pp 117-22
Gould M H Barton B M, Early Reinforced Concrete Water Towers 1900-1930, Trans Newcomen Soc, vol 71 pp 269-281, 1999

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Key Words :- water tower

Viewing the Site :- Site only no remains visible

Address :- Burgh Road, Skegness, Lincolnshire, PE25 2RA
Grid Ref :- TF 55778 64410
Co-ordinates :- Lat 53.154042 , Long 0.328176
Local Authority :- East Lindsey District Council
Pre 1974 County :- Lincolnshire - Lindsey
Site Status :- Site demolished or no longer extant
Site Condition :- Site in alternative industrial use
Site Dates :- 1926 - 1981
Contributor :- John Suter - 21 February 2019

Copyright :- cc-by-nc-sa 4.0 © John Suter