Water Tower, Chester

The Water Tower stands beside Chester’s medieval walls in Cheshire West and Chester. Built in the 14th century, it once stood in the River Dee but now sits 183 metres inland. The tower is attached to Bonewaldesthorne’s Tower by a 30-metre spur wall, both listed as Grade I buildings. Its architect, John Helpston, also designed castles for King Edward II in North Wales. The tower was meant to defend the port and watch shipping movements. By the 17th century the river had silted up, leaving the tower landlocked. The tower has served many purposes over the centuries. It was used as a storehouse, a museum, and even a museum of medical history called ‘Sick to Death’. The Chester Mechanics’ Institution opened a museum here in 1838, and the Grosvenor Museum took over in 1962. During the Civil War the tower was attacked and damaged. The spur wall’s medieval crenellations may be the only surviving example on the city walls. Visitors find a circular tower with a square turret above, reached by 44 stone steps down from the walls. The lower chamber has a pointed archway and thick stone walls with blocked embrasures. A circular staircase of 23 steps leads to the upper chamber, which has four embrasures and a raised fighting platform. The top is crenellated, offering views over the city. The small latrine in the tower’s angle and the spur wall’s features add to its historical interest.