Thames & Severn Canal Roundhouses
A distinctive feature of the Thames and Severn Canal is the roundhouse.
There are five of these in total which are located at:
These were constructed within 2 years of the canal's opening in 1789 and served as lengthsman's cottages.
The roundhouses came in two basic forms. One with a conventional pitched roof, the other with an inverted 'conical roof'.
The inverted roof is believed to have been used to collect rain water which was channelled down to an underground storage tank, and used to supply the roundhouse.
Chalford & Cerney Wick have the conventional pitched roof, while the roundhouses at Coates, Marston Meysey & Lechlade have the inverted roof.
The roundhouses have three floors. Originally the ground floor would have been used as a stable with the first and second floors being used for living accommodation.
