A Victorian water tower believed to be one of the world’s oldest surviving railway structures is set to be given a new lease of life as a rehearsal base for one of York’s long-established brass bands.
Network Rail has secured planning and listed building consent from City of York Council to restore the Grade II-listed water tower on Queen Street – a distinctive brick building dating back to 1839, which once supplied water to steam locomotives during the early days of York’s rail history.
Now, under a unique restoration project, the 5,000-gallon rooftop tank will remain in place, but inside the structure will be transformed into a purpose-built home for the York Railway Institute Band, whose current space will be demolished as part of the wider York Station Gateway redevelopment scheme.
Network Rail’s Mike Stancliffe, Principal Development Manager, said:
“This Queen Street site has a rich railway heritage, and reusing the water tower means we’re preserving a striking historic structure while giving it a new role at the heart of the community.
“Providing a new home for the York RI Band just a stone’s throw from their current rehearsal space is a great result – and ensures an important piece of York’s musical and railway history lives on.”
The York Railway Institute Band, founded in the 1880s, has long been part of the city’s cultural fabric. Plans will see their new headquarters include a rehearsal room, wheelchair-accessible facilities, a kitchenette and dedicated instrument storage.
A second unit within the building will be refurbished and made available for let, with a “white box” fitout to allow flexibility for future tenants.
Chris Smith, a trustee of the York Railway Institute charity, said:
“It’s an exciting project we’ve been working on with Network Rail for several years. Restoring the water tower not only saves a historic building but gives the band a stable future.
“We’re hopeful we can now finalise the lease and get work underway, securing a new home for our three RI bands and bringing music back to this iconic structure.”
Part of the £25m York Station Gateway transformation
The water tower restoration is a key part of the broader York Station Gateway scheme – a £25 million project to improve the station’s transport interchange, public spaces, and historic setting.
Funded by the West Yorkshire-Plus Transport Fund and the Leeds City Region Transforming Cities Fund, the transformation is being delivered in partnership by City of York Council, Network Rail, LNER and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.
The overhaul of the station frontage will improve access for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users, while enhancing the view and setting of the city’s famous medieval walls and nearby heritage buildings.
Work on the water tower is expected to start once a contractor is appointed and the final funding package is confirmed.
Fun Fact: The 1839-built tower is thought to be one of the oldest surviving railway water towers in the world – a silent witness to nearly two centuries of York’s railway evolution.
