We're really lucky in Liverpool with lots of places taking part in Heritage Open Days this weekend, many of which are not normally open to the public.
This is Toxteth Reservoir built in 1853 to supply water to homes in Liverpool and the surrounding area. It was decommissioned in 1995 so other than a few puddles from leaks in the roof it was quite dry!
We were taken on a tour by a retired civil engineer who told us how it was built, how the water was brought here and the processes used to pump it out to homes.
Half the size of a football pitch, with towering cast iron columns and soaring arches, it's quite an amazing structure.
It was built to help solve the health problems of Liverpool, at that time, created by the massive increase in population due to the Irish Potato Famine. 2 million gallons of water were stored here.
The stunning design of the building and the quality of the work was never intended to be viewed by the general public, but I'm glad to have had the opportunity to see it today.
This is a absolutely fabulous picture Christine. The repetitive patterns, this glorious golden light, the shadows. Fav, fav, fav. And thanks for the narrative, very interesting.
Wonderful history and I really enjoy this image with the foreboding dark against the bright golden artificial light! I would love to visit this place! Is it open to the general public?
@marshwader thank you for your comment. It's not normally open to the public, there are various ideas for its use so it might be more accessible in the future but it probably not in its present state.
@anazad511 how interesting, thank you for posting the link. Looks like an amazing place, certainly plenty of columns and arches - a bit more ornate than the ones in the reservoir. I'll definitely be adding it to the list!
