It once provided water for the people of Congleton. But now Forge Lane Water Tower is a luxurious home for Andy Critchlow and partner Ana Ferguson WORDS BY EMMA MAYOH PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIRSTY THOMPSON
Andy Critchlow has always wanted to learn how to climb. Now he has the perfect opportunity. The 32-year-old will soon be hitting the heights to clean the windows at his new home, a 15 metre high water tower in Congleton.
He and partner Ana bought the unusual derelict building at auction at the end of 2009 without even setting foot in it. They have spent the past 18 months converting it into a stunning contemporary home.
Andy, a director at AEW Architects in Manchester, said: ‘I desperately wanted to bring this building back into use. It’s something I feel passionate about. It’s important to preserve structures like this. We are so fortunate in this country to have such a rich heritage and amazing buildings but we don’t seem to be conserving any of it.
‘There is a need for a real change in attitude to our building stock. We need to see the value in old, redundant buildings rather than building more new housing. I also wanted other people to see that there are plenty of fantastic buildings like this one that they could transform into their own home.’
Forge Lane Water Tower was designed by engineer William Blackshaw two years before it came into use in 1881. It was built to meet the demands of the expanding town and was used for 119 years before being decommissioned in 2001.
Andy said: ‘Congleton was developing and the authorities wanted to be able to expand to the west. They needed more pressure to be able to pump the water further. That was when this tower was developed.
‘The pump house still exists down in Forge Wood and this tower was responsible for helping the expansion of Congleton and providing water to the people here.’
Despite taking only 18 months to complete the transformation, it has been no easy task.
As well as undertaking the design of the house, Andy, with help from his brother Phil and dad, Cliff, has overcome great hurdles to create this dream home. Before work could start, mounds of pigeon mess had to be cleared. It then took the trio nine months to chip away, piece-by-piece, at the vast water tank at the top of the building. It weighed 50 tonnes and when in use it would have contained 50,000 gallons of water.
Huge steel frames had to be put in to support the five floors. They had to cart masses of heavy materials to the top of the building to do the roof and the trio also endured various injuries and illnesses. Phil contracted pneumonia, Cliff suffered a heart attack and Andy, who taught himself plumbing so he could tackle those jobs, broke his ankle. He also needed shards of material from the water tank removing from his eyes. The trio also dealt with flooding when a tarpaulin protecting the roof came off and rainwater poured in.
The couple moved into Andy’s parents’ house throughout the project so they could use the money from the sale of their own home to fund the �400,000 renovation.
‘That was probably one of the reasons we kept the build on track,’ joked Andy. ‘It has been hard work and we’ve been lucky to have help from our family.
‘When I start something I don’t think about what it entails, which is probably a good thing in this case. I just think about the end. In my mind, everything in between just has to happen. It doesn’t matter how difficult it might be in that time, it just has to happen. The hard work has been worth it.’
The couple have transformed this industrial building into a welcoming, comfortable and contemporary four bedroom, three bathroom home over five floors. They have used environmentally-friendly technology to power their home, including photo-voltaic panels and a ground source heat pump.
A staircase winds its way up the centre of the structure with rooms going off it, but the piece de resistance is the top floor where a fully glazed sun room offers views over seven counties.
Andy and Ana, whose home was recently featured on the Channel 4 series Restoration Man, presented by fellow architect George Clarke, are now planning to establish gardens on the land surrounding the listed building. But it’s probable it won’t be long before Andy starts looking for his next challenge.
‘I’m terrible because once I’ve finished something I want something new,’ he said. ‘Give me a few years and I’ll be looking for something else. What will we do with ourselves now the house is done? But I’ve promised Ana we will be here for at least the next ten years so we’ll have to see.
‘I feel immensely proud of what we have achieved. This was once a prominent building which played a big part in the area’s history. We now hope it will be that once again.’
The print version of this article appeared in the April 2012 issue of Cheshire Life
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