This site is adjacent to the original early nineteenth-century reservoir built as part of the town waterworks at same time as the Balkerne Hill site (Essex SMR No. 15571). In 1882, following the take-over of the water undertaking by the Corporation, this water tower was constructed. It is c.105 ft high, built of red brick by Charles Clegg, Borough Surveyor and Engineer. Its construction comprises four square piers with round-headed arches in Roman style and a central service pier with stairway. This all supports a cast iron water tank on brackets with a copper roof topped by a lantern and weather vane.<1>

In use, the tank could hold 1069 cubic metres (37,800 cubic ft) of water.

Land Lane Brickworks, S of the Colne and W of Middle Mill, supplied the bricks for the Jumbo watertower.<2>

Jumbo remains largely unaltered from its original design of 1882. Due to concerns over the strength of the tank, contructed of iron plates manufactured by a Newcaste based foundry, wrought iron tie bars were added in 1888 (these were removed when the tank was used for prayer meetings by the Prayer Tower Trust). The earthquake of 1888 has left a large crack in the brickwork chamber around the central stairwell. Finance for a new rising main was approved in 1892 and the new main was in use by 1895. A structural report in 1907 recommended the removal of the original eaves cornice and the further strengthening of the tank with additional tie bars. An inspection in 1947 concluded that the roof over the tank was in a poor condition and the interior was subsequently boarded out in tongue and groove and the exterior clad with copper sheet (as today). The waterworks were were taken over by the Colchester and District Water Board in 1960.<3>

The tower was nicknamed 'Jumbo' after the London Zoo elephant as a term of derision in 1882 by Reverend John Irvine who was annoyed that the tower dwarfed his nearby rectory at St. Mary-at-the-Walls.

The tower was sold off by Anglian Water in 1987. It has had multiple owners since. In 2001, after prolonged controversy, planning permission was granted on appeal to replace the tank with a glass walled penthouse, but work on this never started and permission expired. In 2006, Jumbo was sold at auction for £330,000 to a local developer. The building was put up for sale again in 2014, selling for £190,000 at auction, to local poultry farmer Paul Flatman.

Five digital photographs of Jumbo Water Tower, taken in August 2016.<4>