The now demolished water tower was built to supply a standby water supply to the sprinkler system, which was most probably constructed during enlargement works to the upper mill in 1905-6. A ‘tank’ is indicated on the 1914 and 1938 OS maps. The tower was erected on the cliff above the boiler house and held 8800 gal (40000l) of water. (Fires in 1840 and 1846 had destroyed two mills which were both rebuilt). The tower was demolished after suffering from the effects of mining subsidence and vandalism. The square tower was constructed of random courses square stones of the local Permian Magnesian Limestone. The building with three floors and basement was approximately square, 6.2m x 6.6m, with quoined angle buttresses whilst each elevation has two recessed panels, one above the other. On the south side there were three window openings, one to each floor. On the west elevation steps lead down to a doorway to the semi-basement. The tower had a flat concrete roof behind a parapet. The windows had stone cills (except the tank floor), wooden 3-light windows with quarter round moulding under a rather unusual purpose made cast-iron lintel. (1)

<1> Patrick Strange, 1997, Pleasley Mill, Derbyshire: A Survey and Building Report on the redundant Water Tower at the Upper Mill, Pleasley Mills, Derbyshire (Unpublished document). SNT4840.