News that a new luxury home will be built on one of Ormskirk's last remaining water towers led to a fascinating news tip from good friend of QLocal Ormskirk, Dot Hawkes.

The Tower Hill tower's one of three water towers left with other - the majority built by Ormskirk Urban District Council - having disappeared. The West Lancashire Water Board - set up following an act of Parliament in 1907 - then North West Water, and finally United Utilities were all responsible for them.

Less well known until recently, when the first of seven planning applications were made, was the one just off Greetby Hill, built in 1853, which became a listed building in 1976.

It was built of coursed, squared sandstone with a slate roof in a square plan 'Romanesque' style. Its tall tower has two narrow full-height Romanesque arches on each side, all with stepped surrounds and arch-bands, linked by an impost band carried round; plain frieze with carved grotesques at the corners, and very emphatic corbelling in machicolated form, surmounted by a large tank enclosed by what appears to be ashlar walling.

And that news tip?

One brave local took advantage of an unlocked door at the bottom of the tower to take these brilliant photos: http://www.derelictplaces.co.uk/main...l#.WNBbs_msWRN