When I was a child, we used to play a game on homeward bound car journeys – the winner being the first person to see the water tower which was situated on a hill behind our village. There was no prize bar bragging rights, but we played with gusto.
I didn’t appreciate at the time what a remarkable building it was. Built in 1935-6 (in red brick rather than concrete to blend in with the landscape), the dodecagonal tower rises to a hundred feet where its conical slate roof reaches its highest point. It is Art Deco functionality at its best.
Back then, it simply signified that we were nearly home – although, such is the flatness of the land in southeast Cambridgeshire that, from certain directions, a glimpse of the water tower could mean there were still a few miles to travel.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies