St Pancras Waterpoint

St Pancras Waterpoint is a water tower originally used to refill steam locomotives at St Pancras station with water. The Victorian Gothic brick structure, designed by the office of Sir George Gilbert Scott, who was also responsible for the Midland Grand Hotel at Pancras station, around 1868. The design included a chimney which was simply a design element and not functional. The building is approximately 9m by 6m and is three stories high with the top containing a cast iron tank capable of holding 68 cubic metres of water.

The Waterpoint was originally located further south than its present location, and approximately 100° anti-clockwise from its current orientation. With the enlargement of St Pancras to accommodate International Eurostar services the WaterPoint needed to be moved to make space. In November 2001, following 3 years of planning, it was relocated a few hundred metres from its original location to its present locations. The original intention was to deconstruct the building then rebuild it, however a survey identified that because of the mortar used dismantling and rebuilding the Waterpoint would have resulted in significant damage to the fabric of the building. In addition the lower third of the building had been sufficient damaged that it was not suitable to be transported. The result was that the building was separated into three sections and the top two sections transported to a reconstructed base, the entire project cost £915,190.

The building and its site are owned by the London Historic Buildings Trust and are leased to the Canal & River Trust and used by the St Pancras Cruising Club who organises a number of open days during the summer when visitors can visit the water tower.