Geograph - photograph every grid square

TM2836 : Spriteshall Lane Water Tower TM2836 : Trimley Water Tower TM2836 : Water tower at Trimley St. Mary TM2836 : Trimley St Mary Water Tower

A local landmark

Trimley water tower is 210ft high and is the highest "open leg" tower in the UK. Built in 1934, the tower could hold 150,000 gallons of water, enough for a two-hour peak demand in Felixstowe. When first built there was a pair of cottages about 100 yards to the east but no other homes close to it.
In the 1970s two covered reservoirs were constructed next to it. Following the construction of the A14, through the '80s a housing estate grew up on an area which had previously been allotments.

The tower was drained in 2002, but it has been used as a useful telecoms mast, although much of this was decommissioned in 2012, partly because of deterioration of the concrete.

A local resident tells me:
In the summer of 2020 a complaint was made when chunks of concrete were found in the garden of a nearby house. Nets were fitted to the tower to catch any further falling debris.

In December 2020 plans were submitted to build more homes to the east of the tower, between existing housing and the A14.

I suppose they know what they are doing...