A new visitor centre has been opened inside what is believed to be the last-functioning water tower of its kind in the UK, on the historic Keighley & Worth Valley Railway.
Work started last year on the tower at the northern terminus of Keighley Station, as part of the £100,000 project funded by Keighley Towns Fund, with an additional £42,000 from The Railway Heritage Trust.
The tower was originally constructed by the Midland Railway Company in 1883 to provide water for locomotives arriving in and departing from places such as Bradford, Carlisle, Halifax, Leeds, Morecambe and Scotland, and it is still used today to refresh the KWVR’s fleet of historic steam engines.
KWVR is one of England’s leading heritage railways, and the tank that tops the building holds 30,000 gallons of water and can supply up to 10,000 gallons a day for the railway’s major events.
The bottom half of the building used to house a pump engine that moved water up from the River Worth, which flows just below the station to the tank. However, following the introduction of main water supplies to the area, the space fell into disuse.
Keighley Assistant Station Master James Crossley, who led the visitors’ information and interpretation element of the Water Tower project for the KWVR, explained: “Work to convert the vacant space into a visitor centre started in September 2023. The floor level has been raised to that of Platform Four, where the Water Tower is situated, and one of the key features we have introduced is a glass panel over the original well.
“If you add in under-floor heating and a heat-pump system, a new electric system as well as a new door, the painting and decorating and fitting out; it has been a major undertaking for the railway. The space is now open daily for people to explore, and admission is free.”
The KWVR’s own volunteer workforce kitted out the centre with interactive features, including the history of the railway and its connections to the Midland Railway, a model of how the Water Tower works, and elements of the railway’s vast archive of pictures.
Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council’s Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Transport and Planning, said: “This historic water tower is such an important structure and part of Keighley’s proud rail heritage. It has been incredible to see the process of restoring the former pump-house to create an accessible centre for passengers and visitors, without compromising the operational function of the water tower itself.”
Chair of the Keighley Town Board Tim Rogers added: “The KWVR is one of the leading educational, heritage and tourist attractions across the district, and indeed the country. It draws so many people to the area and strengthens our local economy. We’re pleased to have been able to support this contemporary visitor centre with a significant amount of funding, so it can continue to delight passengers and visitors for many years to come.”
