National Lift Tower - Northampton - Feb 2011

[Nelly]

Not really a report as such, but we swung by here on our visit to Northampton last weekend.

A really unusual building, made more so by the fact that a whole housing estate has been built around it!!!

We have approached the owners about a possible visit and a photo session and are waiting for a reply.

The History (Stolen from Wikipedia)

The National Lift Tower (previously called The Express Lift Tower) is a lift testing tower built by the Express Lift Company off the Weedon Road in Northampton, England. The structure was commissioned in 1978 with construction commencing in 1980, and was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 12 November 1982.

Designed by architect Maurice Walton of Stimpson and Walton, the tower is 127.45 metres (418.1 feet) tall, 14.6 m (47.9 ft) in diameter at the base and tapers to 8.5 m (27.9 ft) at the top. The only lift testing tower in Britain, it was granted Grade II listed building status on 30 October 1997, at the time making it the youngest listed building in the UK.

In January 1997, the tower fell out of use after Express Lifts was taken over by Otis and subsequently closed. In 1999, the tower and surrounding land was sold to Wilcon Homes for development.

It is the only such tower in the UK, and one of only two in Europe.

The building is now privately owned and has been re-named the National Lift Tower. Following extensive renovation and repairs, the tower was re-opened for business in October 2009. The tower is used by lift companies for research, development, testing and marketing. As well as being a resource for the lift industry, the building is also available to companies requiring tall vertical spaces, for example companies wishing to test working-at-height safety devices.

There are six lift shafts of varying heights and speeds, including a high speed shaft with a travel of 100 metres and a speed of 4 metres per second.

 

[Wevsky]

Thats more than worth asking about mate!Looks really odd..odd is good :cool2:

 

[Nelly]

Odd it was mate!!!

Captured these from Bing Maps

When I looked at this one it occurred to me that if the residents painted huge numbers on the roads then this would be the worlds biggest sun dial

Now that would be odd!!!!!

 

[Wevsky]

Look forward to more about this tower mate!

 

[he who must rome]

was the doors locked ?.....give em a go n if open get in on a night woo hooo high night shots ere you come eh !!!!!

 

[Nelly]

was the doors locked ?.....give em a go n if open get in on a night woo hooo high night shots ere you come eh !!!!!

Oh, I don't know, I forgot to try them :mrgreen:

Yeah, they were locked, Night shots would be quality from up there tough!!