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Summary

Two Victorian reservoirs and filtration beds at Bath Road Reservoirs.

Monument Type(s):

• RESERVOIR (Post Medieval to Modern - 1852 AD to 2013 AD)

Description

The original plans for the Bath Road reservoir site are dated 30th November 1850 and show the two reservoirs, four circular filtration tanks surrounded by a bund and the pump house in the south-west corner. The Board of Health commissioned a map in 1853 of the waterworks within Reading, which included the reservoirs. This appears to show the site as it was built, with the two reservoirs at the rear and four filtration tanks at the southern end of the site.

The 1881 OS map shows two reservoirs and six circular tanks. By 1899–1900 the round tanks are now labelled as filter beds. By 1931–1932 the westernmost of the filtration beds has been filled in, and by 1958–1960 the eastern filtration bed has also been filled in. By 1968 the northern reservoir is labelled as disused.

Building recording was undertaken in 2013 prior to the proposed development of the site. The filtration beds and reservoirs were located within an earthen bund, accessed by a set of steps from the south-central part of the site, between the pump house and water tower. The steps were of brick construction overlaid by a stone slab and held together by cement mortar. The bricks measured 230mm x 106mm x 72mm (9 1/16” x 4 3/16” x 2 13/16”). Down the western side of the steps was a steel rail, which was probably a later addition.

The filtration beds were at the southernmost end of the bund and consisted of a covered circular tank which was covered in scrub and inaccessible. Further to the north was a larger circular tank of brick construction and whitewashed. No access was possible, thus the type of brick bonding was not discernible. Within the centre of the tank was a brick pillar. Around the edges were various cast iron inlet and outlet pipes. A set of iron ladder rungs were laid into the wall on the southern side for access. To the north of the main tank was a further small, brick built, covered tank.

Behind the filtration beds was the rectangular, covered reservoir. This was completely grassed over and no detail of the actual reservoir could be seen. Around the edges were brick built box structures. Architectural plans suggest that the reservoir had approximately 45° sloping sides and a flat base. The cover was constructed of iron, supported on columns and girders. The signature and date suggest that the cover was constructed around 1933.

At the rear of the site (northern end) was the disused reservoir. It was rectangular in shape, except for the north-west corner where it followed the line of the site boundary and railway line. It consisted of sloped sides at approximately a 45° angle and a flat base. The entire reservoir was overgrown with scrub <1>.

<1> Thames Valley Archaeological Services, 2014, Bath Road Reservoirs, Reading, Berkshire - Building Recording, Page 7; Figures 4-9 and 17; Plate 24-27 (Unpublished document). SRM14717.

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