Description
Filter House and pump house by J and A Leslie and Reid, engineers, 1910; entrance gates and boundary wall earlier 20th century when site was extended. Both filter house and pump house are of Edwardian Baroque design. All the structures are of coursed, slightly rock-faced sandstone with contrasting red sandstone ashlar dressings.FILTER HOUSE (NT2485 6834): single storey; 6-bay; rectangular-plan, symmetrical Edwardian Baroque water filter house with pedimented gables and central oculi. Deep red sandstone plinth; wide corniced eaves course. Architraved windows with bracketed projecting cills on all sides; channelled quoins. W ELEVATION: central entrance with moulded architraved surround with keystone; moulded pediment above; 2-leaf panelled timber door. Flanking windows with keystones. Moulded pediment above with central louvred oculus with splayed voussoirs at cardinal points. E ELEVATION: central round-arched entrance with moulded surround and 2-leaf boarded timber door. Flanking windows. Moulded pediment above with central louvred oculus with splayed voussoirs at cardinal points. N AND S ELEVATIONS: 6 regularly spaced windows to either side. Mainly 12-pane fixed timber frame windows with single opening lights. Grey slate roof. Cast-iron rainwater goods. INTERIOR: not inspected (1997).
HILLEND PUMP HOUSE (NT 2479 6828): Single storey, single cell; rectangular plan. Simplified Edwardian Baroque design. Deep moulded eaves cornice; V-jointed quoins; V-jointed long and short surrounds to all openings. N (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: entrance with panelled timber door and 2-pane overlight to right. Single window to left. S AND W ELEVATIONS: single window to centre.
E ELEVATION: entrance with boarded timber door to centre. 3-pane timber windows with top hoppers. Flat asphalted roof. Cast iron rainwater goods.
ENTRANCE GATES AND BOUNDARY WALL (NT 2475 6838): low stone wall surmounted by replacement railings; includes 2 pairs of gate piers and terminates in pier at each end. N pier approximately 30ft to N of main entrance; S pier immediately to W of pumphouse. Sandstone wall is snecked with ashlar coping and piers; piers square in plan with projecting base and band courses and pyramid caps. Wall curves E at main entrance; 2nd entrance is to W of filter house.
Statement of Interest
Originally established with 12 pressure filters the works was able to treat 4 million gallons of water per day and supplied the high areas of Fairmilehead and Braid Hills. The buildings show some similarity in the use of pediments and V-jointed angle quoins to J & A Leslie's earlier (1870's and 80's) designs for outlet houses at Alnwickhill Reservoir; however at Alnwickhill the precedents were strictly Roman rather than loosely Baroque.
Statutory Address revised in 2024. Previously listed as '55 Buckstone Terrace, Fairmilehead Water Treatment Works, Filter House, Hillend Pump House and Entrance Gates and Boundary Wall'.
External Links
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Recommended Books
Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Drawing up a Local Listed Building Consent Order: Historic England Advice Note 6
Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
Hampshire: Winchester and the North (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)