SWITHLAND RESERVOIR WATER WORKS KINCHLEY LANE ROTHLEY

Part of Kinchley Lane is in the Parish of Rothley and the following Listed Buildings are included although just outside the boundary. Lovely views of the reservoir and many of the buildings detailed below can be gained by driving or walking to the dam wall at the bottom of Kinchley Lane.

LODGE AT KINCHLEY LANE(WEST SIDE)ROTHLEY

The Lodge at Swithland Reservoir Water Works is on Kinchley Lane West Side. It was built in 1896 by Hawkesley of London. It is of red brick with stone dressings, bands and coped shouldered gables, and slate roof with gable ridge stack. 2 storeys in 'Queen Anne' style with sash windows; most have stone sills and heads. Central projecting gable with 6/6 sash both floors. Door to right in angle with banded stone surround and flat canopy. a 6/6 sash both floors on left side gable. Further gable and half dormer to rear with 4/4 and 6/6 sashes and door, together with brick walled yard and 1 storey outhouse. Complex stands in parklike setting with choice trees and shrubs. Group value with the other items at Swithland Reservoir Water Works.

ENTRANCE GATE, PIERS AND WALLING, KINCHLEY LANE (WEST SIDE) ROTHLEY

The Entrance Gate, Piers and Walling at Swithland Reservoir Water Works on Kinchley Lane, West Side were built in 1896 by Hawkesley of London. They are red and blue brick, dressed stone and wrought iron. pair of low walls of 1/4 circle on convex curve lead to a pair of piers with pair of gates between. Walls of red and blue brick, stone coped, with 3 panels of wrought iron work above, with scrolls and ovals. banded piers also on the outside end with dentilled stone coping and a stone urn on top. Gate piers similar, with a stone obelisk on an urn base. Wrought iron gates similar to wall panels but more elaborate. Entrance is to the right of the lodge. Complex stands in a parklike setting with choice trees and shrubs. Group value with the other items at Swithland Reservoir Water Works.

COACH HOUSE, KINCHLEY LANE (WEST SIDE) ROTHLEY

The Coach House at Swithland Reservoir Water Works Kinchley Lane West Side was built in 1896 by Hawkesley of London. Built of red brick, stone banded, with stone coped shouldered gables and slate roof. 1 1/2 storeys; gable to the right. From left: a 6/6 sash; pair of carriage doors; 1/2 glazed door up two stone steps; and in gable, further pair of garage doors with 1/2 glazed door over. 1-light window on the left end. 8/8 sash with 4/8 sash over on rear. On roof, a lead and wooden open lantern with 8 small columns, dome and weathervane. Complex stands in parklike setting with choice trees and shrubs. Group value with other items at Swithland Reservoir Water Works.

HOUSE, KINCHLEY LANE (WEST SIDE) ROTHLEY

House at Swithland Reservoir Water Works Kinchley Lane West Side.
A house of 1896 built by Hawkesley of London. Built of London Red brick, stone banded with stone coped shouldered gables and slate roof with stone banded ridge and side stacks. 2 storeys in 'Queen Anne' style with sash windows, most having moulded stone surrounds and architraves. Front of 2 gables with recessed central section of 2-arched arcade and 2-light dormer with top lights in roof, which is carried down. Within the arcade are two doors, both with steps and stone surrounds. Single door to the left and 2-leaved part glazed door to the right. Gable to the left has canted bay with three 6/6 sash over. Gable to the right has tripartite 4/4: 6/6: 4/4 sash with Leicester City crest over and further 6/6 sash above. Stone obelisks on shoulders. On left end, a blocked door, a pair of 6/6 sashes with a further 6/6 sash over. On right end, two 1-light windows with a 6/6 sash over. Left gable on rear similar to right front gable, otherwise further sash windows and extending from right, a 1 storey outhouse followed by another. Ridge stack on first. Complex stands in a parklike setting with choice trees and shrubs. Group value with other items at Swithland Reservoir Water Works.

6 FORMER FILTER BEDS, WATER TANK WITH GAZEBO AND STEPS, KINCHLEY LANE (WEST SIDE) ROTHLEY

6 former filter beds, water tank with gazebo and steps of 1896 by Hawkesley of London. Granite rubble stone, dressed stone, blue brick and lead. Series of 6 polygonal filter beds, symmetrically placed about an hexagonal covered, partly sunken, draw-off tank with elaborate balustrade and central gazebo in Renaissance style. From pumping house forecourt, a short flight of stone steps with side parapets, leads down north-eastwards to area laid out like a grand formal garden.
The filter beds have blue brick retaining walls with stone edges. Tank has low granite side walls with short stone pilasters and arches (some blocked) at intervals. Above the pilasters are the piers of the balustrade, which is itself a row of small arches with rusticated stonework. 2 flights of stone steps with similar balustrades lead up to a bitumen covered top of tank. Principal piers have carved Renaissance obelisks on top. In centre of tank, an octagonal open stone gazebo on stone plinth with 8 Doric Roman columns supporting arches, entablature and lead dome with carved stone lantern on top. Gazebo covers central air vent. Complex stands in parklike setting with choice trees and shrubs. Group value with other items at Swithland Reservoir Water Works.

BRIDGE, FOUNTAIN AND POOL STONEWORK, KINCHLEY LANE (WEST SIDE) ROTHLEY

Bridge, Fountain and Pool Stonework at Swithland Water Works Kinchley Lane West Side.
Bridge, excess fountain and pool stonework of 1896 built by Hawkesley of London in 1896. Granite rubble stone and dressed stone. These items lie to the north-west of the filter beds and tank (listed separately) and form part of a grand formal layout. Bridge (placed on cross-axis of tank) crosses stone-lined stream and has a single depressed arch of dressed stone and sides of granite, 2 quoined piers are carried up to the bridge piers with carved obelisks on top. These and low bridge approach piers are joined by Renaissance style balustrading of a row of small arches of rusticated stonework the same as on the tank. Close by is a small excess fountain with octagonal basin: blue brick interior with stone coping and metal fountain. 2 stepped overflow channels. To north-east the partly curved pond stonework with small sluices. Complex stands in a parklike setting with choice trees and shrubs. Group value with the other items at Swithland Reservoir Water Works.

DRAW-OFF TOWER, TUNNEL MOUTH, DAM CAUSEWAY AND BRIDGE, KINCHLEY LANE (WEST SIDE) ROTHLEY

Draw-off tower, tunnel mouth, dam causeway and bridge of 1896 by Hawkesley of London.
Built of red brick, granite rubble stone and dressed stone. The draw-off tower stands in the reservoir about 15 metres off the causeway. The causeway is south-east of the filter beds and pumping house complex. The tower is of red brick in the Renaissance style on a brick and stone plinth with stone dressings, frieze, bracketed cornice and flat roof with stone balustraded parapet. 1 storey above water, of square plan with octagonal stair turret half projecting from the right side and continuing above roof level as a small octagonal stone turret with a dome and finial. An iron bridge leads across from the causeway to the entrance door with a stone surround and pediment. Transomed 1-light windows on the sides.
At the corners of the roof are stone piers with carved obelisks on the top. The balustrade in between is a row of small arches of rusticated stonework, the same as that on the tank and the bridge (listed separately). Lead water spouts on the left and right sides.
On the opposite side of the causeway is the almost round tunnel mouth for the draw-off pipe. Rusticated stonework with stone coping and granite rubble stone side embankments with stone coping. The causeway wall is of granite rubble stone with roadway between.
The bridge at the north end of the causeway carries the road over the reservoir overflow stream. 3 depressed arches, underside of brick, with dressed rusticated stone edges, granite rubble stone sides and parapet. Stone copings. Stone cutwater system on reservoir side, with three cobbles stream beds continuing under the bridge. Group value with other items at Swithland Reservoir Water Works.

PUMPING HOUSE AND WELL HOUSE, KINCHLEY LANE (WEST SIDE) ROTHLEY

Pumping house and former well house of 1896 by Hawkesley of London. This is of red brick with elaborate stone dressings, bands, frieze, dentilled cornice, parapet and stone coped gables. Slate roof, part with cast iron ridge flashing and ridge stack to the rear. In Renaissance style with main range of tall 1 storey and stone banded basement with lower similar boiler house range to the rear. Central gabled projection with doorway up parapeted flight of 13 stone steps. Elaborate stone door surround with banded half columns and pilasters, volutes, curved pediment with fanlight, and three 1-lights beneath, and a side light either side of 2-leaved door and overlight under a segmental arch. dated A.D.1896. Either side of central projection, an 8/8 sash in basement and a tall stone mullioned window with rounded arch above. This is of 2 lights with top lights and fanlight in the arch. Mullions formed of 2 half-round columns. A pair of similar windows on each end with 8/8 sashes in basement (2 blank), and a 3-light window in the gable.
Between main windows on the left end, a stone tablet containing the City of Leicester crest. Windows on rear range of 2- or 3-lights with double or triple rounded arch head within the stone lintel band. Left side rear gable has a row of 5 similar open arches.
From the left side extends the square base of the truncated chimney, whilst on the right side extends a walled yard with large Vanbrughian corner piers containing small outhouses and capped with pyramid roofs. A flight of parapeted stone steps on both sides of rear range lead to a higher level at the rear. On rear of rear range, a series of 4 arches, 2 altered to form 1, covered with glazed tiles, leads to large bins for coal delivery.
Close to rear, a small square 1 storey and basement former well house, similarly Vanbrughian, and with pyramid roof and finial. Stone parapet. To front and left side, two 6/6 top opening windows. On right side, flat-topped covered entrance at basement level. 2 basement 1-light windows and flight of steps on rear.
Complex stands in a parklike setting with choice trees and shrubs. Group value with the other items at Swithland Reservoir Water Works.

Further information to be added shortly. January 2006