Wainhouse tower

It is 275 feet tall and took four years to erect, 1871-1875. The tower was first designed by architect Booth. Edward Wainhouse (1817-1883) owned the Washer Lane Dye Works. The Abatement Act of 1870 required the building of a tall chimney, to carry smoke out of the valleys in which factories were built. In 1874 John Wainhouse sold the mill to his works manager. However he refused to pay for the cost of building the chimney so Wainhouse decided to keep the tower for himself and use it as an observatory. The upper section of the tower was completed by another local architect, Richard Swarbrick Dugale, who designed the elaborate galleries at the top of the tower. The total costs of the tower came to £14,000.