517:(BSI) for type testing of lift safety components at the time under the BS 5655 and BS EN81 standards. Safety Gear testing involved putting the lift cars (frame) into free fall conditions with rated mass at tripping speeds as required by the designers of the safety gear to ensure the lift cars decelerated and stopped within the requirements of the standard. Buffer testing involved impacting them with the maximum and minimum mass at tripping speeds to ensure decelerations were within that requirement by the standard in both cases the aim was to ensure if the lift ever went into free fall or uncontrolled downward movement the safety components stopped the lift without causing any serious injury to the occupant. BSI ceased using the test tower soon after the site was acquired for housing in 1997–1998.
160:
144:
506:
1160:
521:
38:
167:
596:
published an article for April Fools' Day 2008, claiming that the lift tower would be pulled down. Comments were made on the paper's website regarding the lack of respect of the local council for not publicly announcing it. Another April Fools' Day story in the same paper suggested the tower would be
528:
The building is now privately owned and has been renamed 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
486:
Designed by architect
Maurice Walton of Stimpson Walton Bond, the tower is 127.5 metres (418 ft 4 in) tall, 14.6 m (47 ft 11 in) in diameter at the base and tapers to 8.5 m (27 ft 11 in) at the top. The only lift-testing tower in Britain, and one of only two in
535:
The tower's renovation was officially completed in July 2010. Further building work was planned with planning permission being sought to build a visitor's centre incorporating a 100-seater auditorium and cafe. However, permission for this structure was denied by
Northampton Borough Council in March
470:
monastery dedicated to St James, which was founded in 1104–1105. When the former
Express Lift factory, which included the lift-testing tower, was redeveloped for housing in 1999–2000, excavations were carried out to determine the location and remains of any parts of the abbey. A cemetery of
539:
Abseiling at the tower has been going on since May 2011 with over £140,000 having been raised for charity in the period to May 2012. Northampton
Borough Council has now granted approval for it to be used up to 24 times a year for abseiling.
532:
There are six lift shafts of varying heights and speeds, including a high-speed shaft with a travel of 100 metres (328 ft 1 in) and a theoretical maximum speed of 10 m/s (33 ft/s).
863:
1621:
984:
1189:
159:
551:
The tower now houses a transmitter on the top of it, for broadcasting community radio station
Revolution Radio on FM 96.1 MHz, which launched on 12 June 2021.
478:
burials was excavated during winter 2000–2001. The bones were analyzed to determine the health and burial practices in the late-medieval population of
Northampton.
529:
lift industry, the building is also available to companies requiring tall vertical spaces, for example companies wishing to test working-at-height safety devices.
1184:
1179:
495:
shaped windows were a design motif of the
Express Lift Company, whose lift control panels featured control buttons and floor indicators of the same shape.
241:
1590:
743:
1636:
502:(who typically used its test facilities in the United States). In 1999, the tower and surrounding land was sold to Wilcon Homes for development.
1011:
1461:
871:
55:
1616:
1477:
1269:
1229:
867:
696:
1626:
121:
102:
1079:
827:
691:
74:
1446:
1249:
1201:
890:
592:
59:
954:
642:
The Tower rises above the flat plain of the Nene valley near
Northampton like some kind of latter-day Barad Dûr or Orthanc.
81:
1641:
1326:
1295:
514:
1436:
1378:
1114:
1059:
234:
1552:
1357:
1196:
568:
979:
88:
426:, England. The structure was commissioned in 1978 with construction commencing in 1980 and was officially opened by
143:
1362:
1129:
1034:
969:
459:
48:
1413:
1149:
1104:
1039:
1004:
912:
619:
974:
70:
1451:
491:
status on 30 October 1997, making it the youngest listed building in the UK at the time. The building's small,
419:
885:
1517:
1134:
1054:
944:
626:
1537:
1532:
1388:
1285:
564:
1595:
1456:
1264:
1259:
747:
1482:
1089:
1562:
1383:
997:
1557:
1408:
1290:
411:
811:
796:
505:
1631:
1441:
1254:
1174:
492:
95:
1109:
1099:
722:
1542:
1527:
1522:
1487:
1347:
1159:
463:
1585:
1321:
1239:
1234:
1049:
718:
687:
442:
175:
1300:
488:
431:
959:
1580:
614:
543:
As of 2015, the tower was being used as the world's tallest drainage-testing facility.
499:
831:
1610:
1575:
1352:
1342:
1144:
1139:
1119:
1069:
662:
1084:
949:
917:
467:
427:
17:
913:"N for Northampton: Alan Moore celebrates his hometown with a 1,200-page fantasy"
1547:
1224:
1094:
1044:
1020:
580:
520:
438:
423:
219:
37:
620:
Express Lifts history booklet from 1982 includes internal diagrams of the tower
1074:
573:
256:
243:
1305:
1124:
561:
498:
In
January 1997, the tower fell out of use after Express was taken over by
1512:
1507:
939:
774:
415:
845:
62: in this article. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
769:
1064:
513:
From the time it was built, one shaft was specifically used by the
744:"The Medieval Abbey of St. James (Part 1) 1999 – 2001 excavations"
519:
504:
934:
583:
as the "Northampton lighthouse". He wrote a section of the book
391:
993:
964:
627:"Love in an elevator.... testing mast: The National Lift Tower"
576:
demonstrates the operation of the high-speed lift in the tower.
989:
31:
663:"Roots of the Company - The rise and fall of the GEC empire"
462:, west of Northampton town centre. The area is named after
719:"A History of the County of Northampton: Volume 3, 1930"
600:
The Lift Tower is featured in the science fiction novel
560:
The tower featured prominently in a 1993 episode of the
27:
Lift-testing tower and landmark in Northampton, England
812:
Northampton lift tower gets permanent abseiling status
1500:
1470:
1429:
1422:
1401:
1371:
1335:
1314:
1278:
1217:
1210:
1167:
1027:
384:
376:
371:
363:
355:
350:
340:
332:
327:
319:
311:
303:
288:
280:
272:
233:
225:
214:
206:
198:
193:
185:
136:
692:"Details from listed building database (1031518)"
975:Northampton lift tower set for new lease of life
970:Northampton lift tower back on the up and up...
597:redeveloped as a mooring station for airships.
1622:Grade II listed buildings in Northamptonshire
1005:
864:""Icons of Northants celebrated in new book""
770:"Northampton Lift Tower renovation completed"
8:
797:Northampton Lift Tower centre plans rejected
430:on 12 November 1982. It has been a Grade II
166:
1426:
1214:
1012:
998:
990:
133:
886:"'Why weren't we told about lift tower?'"
122:Learn how and when to remove this message
945:BBC Legacies: Northampton's "Lighthouse"
1235:Doddridge United Reformed Church (1695)
746:. Northants Archaeology. Archived from
653:
579:The tower was lampooned by broadcaster
380:Maurice Walton of Stimpson Walton Bond
980:New name for Northampton's lift tower
414:built by the Express Lift Company (a
7:
1462:Northamptonshire County Cricket Club
60:adding citations to reliable sources
985:British Standards Institution (BSI)
960:BBC: 360 degree panorama from tower
955:Risky Buildings: Express Lift Tower
1270:Northampton Museum and Art Gallery
868:Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph
697:National Heritage List for England
25:
661:Freshwater, R. (15 August 2010).
1158:
891:Northampton Chronicle & Echo
870:. 7 October 2014. Archived from
593:Northampton Chronicle & Echo
572:(Series 3, Episode 1), in which
487:Europe, it was granted Grade II
165:
158:
142:
36:
1202:Northamptonshire County Council
279:
47:needs additional citations for
1637:1982 establishments in England
940:Abseiling at the tower website
1:
1447:Northampton Sileby Rangers FC
1327:Weston Favell Shopping Centre
515:British Standards Institution
472:
437:The tower can be viewed from
1591:WikiProject Northamptonshire
1379:Northampton Balloon Festival
850:www.theradiorevolution.co.uk
1553:Northampton railway station
1197:Northampton Borough Council
625:Smith, Tony (4 July 2013),
569:The Secret Life of Machines
148:National Lift Tower in 2005
1658:
1617:Towers in Northamptonshire
1437:Northampton ON Chenecks FC
323:127.5 m (418 ft)
292:12 November 1982
1571:
1414:University of Northampton
1156:
585:Icons of Northamptonshire
389:
153:
141:
1627:Towers completed in 1982
1518:Arriva Herts & Essex
547:Local radio broadcasting
420:General Electric Company
336:14.6 m (48 ft)
441:, the highest point in
406:(previously called the
372:Design and construction
346:8.5 m (28 ft)
1538:Greyfriars bus station
1533:North Gate bus station
1452:Northampton Spencer FC
1389:St Crispin Street Fair
1190:South Northamptonshire
525:
510:
1596:United Kingdom Portal
1478:County Cricket Ground
1265:Northampton Guildhall
1260:Northampton Cathedral
950:Architectural details
834:on 23 September 2016.
828:"National Lift Tower"
667:britishtelephones.com
565:educational programme
523:
508:
422:) off Weedon Road in
315:Express Lifts Limited
71:"National Lift Tower"
1642:Elevator test towers
1563:West Midlands Trains
1384:Northampton Carnival
1291:Royal & Derngate
1028:Suburbs and villages
965:Wilcon Homes Limited
921:. 15 September 2016.
273:Construction started
257:52.23850°N 0.92200°W
56:improve this article
1558:Stagecoach Midlands
1457:Northampton Town FC
1409:Northampton College
1245:National Lift Tower
723:Phillimore & Co
404:National Lift Tower
253: /
194:General information
137:National Lift Tower
1483:Franklin's Gardens
1442:Northampton Saints
1255:Northampton Castle
1250:The Holy Sepulchre
1230:All Saints' Church
1218:Places of interest
846:"Revolution Radio"
750:on 12 January 2014
526:
511:
428:Queen Elizabeth II
412:lift-testing tower
408:Express Lift Tower
262:52.23850; -0.92200
189:Express Lift Tower
18:Express Lift Tower
1604:
1603:
1543:First Northampton
1528:Grand Union Canal
1523:Avanti West Coast
1496:
1495:
1488:Sixfields Stadium
1397:
1396:
1348:Billing Aquadrome
1185:Northampton South
1180:Northampton North
509:The tower in 2006
464:Northampton Abbey
400:
399:
392:nationallifttower
351:Technical details
132:
131:
124:
106:
16:(Redirected from
1649:
1586:Northamptonshire
1427:
1322:Grosvenor Centre
1296:Cultural Quarter
1215:
1162:
1090:Hunsbury Meadows
1050:Collingtree Park
1014:
1007:
1000:
991:
935:Official Website
923:
922:
909:
903:
902:
900:
898:
882:
876:
875:
874:on 7 March 2016.
860:
854:
853:
842:
836:
835:
830:. Archived from
824:
818:
817:3 September 2014
809:
803:
794:
788:
787:
785:
783:
766:
760:
759:
757:
755:
740:
734:
733:
731:
729:
715:
709:
708:
706:
704:
688:Historic England
684:
678:
677:
675:
673:
658:
644:
639:
637:
604:by Mark Gallard.
587:(2014) about it.
477:
474:
458:The tower is in
443:Northamptonshire
418:division of the
396:
393:
341:Other dimensions
299:
297:
268:
267:
265:
264:
263:
258:
254:
251:
250:
249:
246:
176:Northamptonshire
174:Location within
169:
168:
162:
146:
134:
127:
120:
116:
113:
107:
105:
64:
40:
32:
21:
1657:
1656:
1652:
1651:
1650:
1648:
1647:
1646:
1607:
1606:
1605:
1600:
1567:
1492:
1466:
1418:
1393:
1367:
1331:
1310:
1274:
1206:
1163:
1154:
1023:
1018:
931:
926:
911:
910:
906:
896:
894:
884:
883:
879:
862:
861:
857:
844:
843:
839:
826:
825:
821:
810:
806:
795:
791:
781:
779:
768:
767:
763:
753:
751:
742:
741:
737:
727:
725:
717:
716:
712:
702:
700:
686:
685:
681:
671:
669:
660:
659:
655:
651:
635:
633:
624:
611:
557:
549:
489:listed building
484:
475:
456:
451:
432:Listed Building
390:
364:Lifts/elevators
345:
344:Diameter at top
295:
293:
261:
259:
255:
252:
247:
244:
242:
240:
239:
181:
180:
179:
178:
172:
171:
170:
149:
128:
117:
111:
108:
65:
63:
53:
41:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
1655:
1653:
1645:
1644:
1639:
1634:
1629:
1624:
1619:
1609:
1608:
1602:
1601:
1599:
1598:
1593:
1588:
1583:
1581:England Portal
1578:
1572:
1569:
1568:
1566:
1565:
1560:
1555:
1550:
1545:
1540:
1535:
1530:
1525:
1520:
1515:
1510:
1504:
1502:
1498:
1497:
1494:
1493:
1491:
1490:
1485:
1480:
1474:
1472:
1468:
1467:
1465:
1464:
1459:
1454:
1449:
1444:
1439:
1433:
1431:
1424:
1420:
1419:
1417:
1416:
1411:
1405:
1403:
1399:
1398:
1395:
1394:
1392:
1391:
1386:
1381:
1375:
1373:
1369:
1368:
1366:
1365:
1360:
1358:The Racecourse
1355:
1350:
1345:
1339:
1337:
1333:
1332:
1330:
1329:
1324:
1318:
1316:
1312:
1311:
1309:
1308:
1303:
1298:
1293:
1288:
1286:The Roadmender
1282:
1280:
1276:
1275:
1273:
1272:
1267:
1262:
1257:
1252:
1247:
1242:
1237:
1232:
1227:
1221:
1219:
1212:
1208:
1207:
1205:
1204:
1199:
1194:
1193:
1192:
1187:
1182:
1175:Constituencies
1171:
1169:
1165:
1164:
1157:
1155:
1153:
1152:
1147:
1142:
1137:
1132:
1127:
1122:
1117:
1112:
1107:
1102:
1097:
1092:
1087:
1082:
1080:Great Houghton
1077:
1072:
1067:
1062:
1057:
1052:
1047:
1042:
1037:
1031:
1029:
1025:
1024:
1019:
1017:
1016:
1009:
1002:
994:
988:
987:
982:
977:
972:
967:
962:
957:
952:
947:
942:
937:
930:
929:External links
927:
925:
924:
904:
877:
855:
837:
819:
804:
789:
761:
735:
710:
679:
652:
650:
647:
646:
645:
622:
617:
615:List of towers
610:
607:
606:
605:
602:Time to Repair
598:
588:
577:
556:
553:
548:
545:
483:
480:
455:
452:
450:
447:
398:
397:
387:
386:
382:
381:
378:
374:
373:
369:
368:
365:
361:
360:
357:
353:
352:
348:
347:
342:
338:
337:
334:
330:
329:
325:
324:
321:
317:
316:
313:
309:
308:
305:
301:
300:
290:
286:
285:
282:
278:
277:
274:
270:
269:
237:
231:
230:
227:
223:
222:
218:Tower Square,
216:
212:
211:
208:
204:
203:
200:
196:
195:
191:
190:
187:
183:
182:
173:
164:
163:
157:
156:
155:
154:
151:
150:
147:
139:
138:
130:
129:
44:
42:
35:
26:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1654:
1643:
1640:
1638:
1635:
1633:
1630:
1628:
1625:
1623:
1620:
1618:
1615:
1614:
1612:
1597:
1594:
1592:
1589:
1587:
1584:
1582:
1579:
1577:
1576:East Midlands
1574:
1573:
1570:
1564:
1561:
1559:
1556:
1554:
1551:
1549:
1546:
1544:
1541:
1539:
1536:
1534:
1531:
1529:
1526:
1524:
1521:
1519:
1516:
1514:
1511:
1509:
1506:
1505:
1503:
1499:
1489:
1486:
1484:
1481:
1479:
1476:
1475:
1473:
1469:
1463:
1460:
1458:
1455:
1453:
1450:
1448:
1445:
1443:
1440:
1438:
1435:
1434:
1432:
1428:
1425:
1421:
1415:
1412:
1410:
1407:
1406:
1404:
1400:
1390:
1387:
1385:
1382:
1380:
1377:
1376:
1374:
1370:
1364:
1363:Victoria Park
1361:
1359:
1356:
1354:
1353:Hunsbury Hill
1351:
1349:
1346:
1344:
1343:Abington Park
1341:
1340:
1338:
1334:
1328:
1325:
1323:
1320:
1319:
1317:
1313:
1307:
1304:
1302:
1299:
1297:
1294:
1292:
1289:
1287:
1284:
1283:
1281:
1279:Entertainment
1277:
1271:
1268:
1266:
1263:
1261:
1258:
1256:
1253:
1251:
1248:
1246:
1243:
1241:
1240:Delapré Abbey
1238:
1236:
1233:
1231:
1228:
1226:
1223:
1222:
1220:
1216:
1213:
1209:
1203:
1200:
1198:
1195:
1191:
1188:
1186:
1183:
1181:
1178:
1177:
1176:
1173:
1172:
1170:
1166:
1161:
1151:
1148:
1146:
1145:Weston Favell
1143:
1141:
1140:West Hunsbury
1138:
1136:
1133:
1131:
1130:St. James End
1128:
1126:
1123:
1121:
1120:Round Spinney
1118:
1116:
1113:
1111:
1108:
1106:
1103:
1101:
1098:
1096:
1093:
1091:
1088:
1086:
1083:
1081:
1078:
1076:
1073:
1071:
1070:East Hunsbury
1068:
1066:
1063:
1061:
1058:
1056:
1053:
1051:
1048:
1046:
1043:
1041:
1038:
1036:
1033:
1032:
1030:
1026:
1022:
1015:
1010:
1008:
1003:
1001:
996:
995:
992:
986:
983:
981:
978:
976:
973:
971:
968:
966:
963:
961:
958:
956:
953:
951:
948:
946:
943:
941:
938:
936:
933:
932:
928:
920:
919:
914:
908:
905:
893:
892:
887:
881:
878:
873:
869:
865:
859:
856:
851:
847:
841:
838:
833:
829:
823:
820:
816:
813:
808:
805:
802:13 March 2012
801:
798:
793:
790:
777:
776:
771:
765:
762:
749:
745:
739:
736:
724:
720:
714:
711:
699:
698:
693:
689:
683:
680:
668:
664:
657:
654:
648:
643:
632:
628:
623:
621:
618:
616:
613:
612:
608:
603:
599:
595:
594:
589:
586:
582:
578:
575:
571:
570:
566:
563:
559:
558:
554:
552:
546:
544:
541:
537:
533:
530:
522:
518:
516:
507:
503:
501:
496:
494:
490:
481:
479:
469:
465:
461:
453:
448:
446:
444:
440:
435:
433:
429:
425:
421:
417:
413:
409:
405:
395:
388:
383:
379:
375:
370:
366:
362:
358:
354:
349:
343:
339:
335:
331:
326:
322:
318:
314:
310:
306:
302:
291:
287:
283:
275:
271:
266:
238:
236:
232:
228:
224:
221:
217:
213:
209:
205:
201:
197:
192:
188:
184:
177:
161:
152:
145:
140:
135:
126:
123:
115:
104:
101:
97:
94:
90:
87:
83:
80:
76:
73: –
72:
68:
67:Find sources:
61:
57:
51:
50:
45:This article
43:
39:
34:
33:
30:
19:
1244:
1115:Queen's Park
1085:Hardingstone
918:The Guardian
916:
907:
895:. Retrieved
889:
880:
872:the original
858:
849:
840:
832:the original
822:
814:
807:
799:
792:
780:. Retrieved
773:
764:
752:. Retrieved
748:the original
738:
726:. Retrieved
713:
703:29 September
701:. Retrieved
695:
682:
670:. Retrieved
666:
656:
641:
634:, retrieved
631:The Register
630:
601:
591:
584:
567:
550:
542:
538:
534:
531:
527:
512:
497:
485:
482:Construction
460:St James End
457:
436:
434:since 1997.
407:
403:
401:
377:Architect(s)
186:Former names
118:
109:
99:
92:
85:
78:
66:
54:Please help
49:verification
46:
29:
1548:M1 motorway
1301:Sol Central
1225:78 Derngate
1095:Kingsthorpe
1045:Collingtree
1021:Northampton
778:. July 2010
581:Terry Wogan
468:Augustinian
439:Arbury Hill
424:Northampton
356:Floor count
289:Inaugurated
260: /
235:Coordinates
220:Northampton
112:August 2010
1611:Categories
1168:Governance
1110:New Duston
1100:Lumbertubs
1075:Far Cotton
1060:Dallington
1055:Cotton End
754:12 January
728:12 January
649:References
574:Tim Hunkin
476: 300
449:Background
328:Dimensions
296:1982-11-12
245:52°14′19″N
82:newspapers
1632:Elevators
1501:Transport
1402:Education
1306:Sixfields
1125:Sixfields
562:Channel 4
524:BSI Shaft
307:July 2010
304:Renovated
281:Completed
248:0°55′19″W
202:Completed
1513:A45 road
1508:A43 road
1315:Shopping
1035:Abington
815:BBC News
800:BBC News
775:BBC News
609:See also
555:Mentions
454:The site
333:Diameter
1211:Culture
1150:Wootton
1105:Moulton
1040:Billing
897:16 July
782:16 July
493:obround
410:) is a
385:Website
294: (
229:England
226:Country
215:Address
96:scholar
1471:Venues
1372:Events
1065:Duston
672:3 July
636:5 July
536:2012.
367:5 or 6
320:Height
312:Client
199:Status
98:
91:
84:
77:
69:
1430:Teams
1423:Sport
1336:Parks
1135:Upton
466:, an
416:lifts
210:Tower
103:JSTOR
89:books
899:2015
784:2015
756:2014
730:2013
705:2015
674:2013
638:2013
590:The
500:Otis
402:The
394:.com
284:1982
276:1980
207:Type
75:news
58:by
1613::
915:.
888:.
866:.
848:.
772:.
721:.
694:.
690:.
665:.
640:,
629:,
473:c.
445:.
359:19
1013:e
1006:t
999:v
901:.
852:.
786:.
758:.
732:.
707:.
676:.
298:)
125:)
119:(
114:)
110:(
100:·
93:·
86:·
79:·
52:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
