The Keighley and Worth Valley Railway will create a new visitor centre in the historic Water Tower at the end of Platform 4 at Keighley Station.
The original Midland Railway Water Tower dates back to 1883 and is an integral part of the railway’s operations, still used for locomotives to draw water. The Water Tower will undergo some internal refurbishment to make it a fully accessible space for all visitors.
This will include installing a new raised floor to allow step-free access from the station platform; the floor will be in keeping with the aesthetics of the building, while the well will be a glass floor, allowing viewing into a key feature of the water tower. The visitor centre will also have suitable modern heating installed to make the building a comfortable space for the unpredictable Yorkshire weather.
Proposed Exhibits
The Story
The first exhibit as you walk in will be three posterboards with three inside screens, which will take you on a history tour of the Worth Valley. The story will start with the building of the railway on the Midland Railway screen, the Nationalisation and closure on the British Railway screen and the reopening of the line and voluntary running on the Worth Valley screen. Users will interact via a touchscreen tablet mounted next to the screens.
Midland Railway Brake Van
Located on the back wall, across from where you enter the room, will be a corner of a Midland Railway brake van with an interactive touch screen styled into a period desk (cartographer desk). This screen will allow visitors to browse the Keighley & Worth Valley Midland Railway map archive and other historical artefacts
Please be aware that the final look of this exhibit is subject to change due to historical accuracy.
The Midland Railway Map
Alongside the Midland Railway Brake Van, the whole Midland Railway Map will be projected onto the wall. This will give an insight into how big the Midland Railway was; this will be interactive and build up year by year to show how the vast railway network grew.
Please be aware that the final look of this exhibit is subject to change due to historical accuracy.
Water Tower Model
Located overlooking the Water Tower valves will be a stand-alone unit featuring a model of the water tower and the water columns on the four platforms. This will be a ‘hands-on’ exhibit will allow visitors to understand how the water tower works by transferring water from the inlet and the tank to the water columns on each platform.
Please be aware that the final look of this exhibit is subject to change due to historical accuracy.
On The Wall Heritage
A wall-to-wall projection will be on the back wall of the water tower, showing a collection of heritage videos, including silent videos from the KWVR Archive, British Pathe & British Film Institute.
Amongst the silent videos would be short & impactful videos with sound; these could include the closure of the railways, the re-opening of KWVR, and insights into early members from the Oral History Project.
Please be aware that the final look of this exhibit is subject to change due to the
the space
The Visitor Centre
The layout and configuration of the room has been designed so that it can be altered for one-off exhibits and presentations. The Water Tower Exhibit can be moved to allow a large floor space for multiple rows of seating and a large projector to show films and presentation material.
FUNDING
Funding for the Water Tower Project has come from the Community Grant Scheme of the Keighley Towns Fund and The Railway Heritage Trust. We are extremely grateful for the support and assistance in preserving the Water Tower and making it a visitor centre for all.