Our water butts are hand-crafted with the same care as we have shown in our existing planter range. Their design was influenced by the 18th century lead cisterns, still to be found in the gardens of grand houses and stately mansions around the country.

Why a steel water butt makes sense for a UK garden

The UK averages around 600mm of rainfall a year in the driest parts of East Anglia and the south-east, to well over 1,000mm across much of the rest of the country — enough to make collecting rainwater genuinely worthwhile for any garden. The question is what you store it in.

Plastic water butts are the default choice in most garden centres, but they have a structural problem: UV exposure makes them brittle over time, and thin-walled plastic doesn’t cope well with the freeze-thaw cycles of a British winter. Cracks appear at the base and around the tap fitting, usually within three to five years.

Galvanised steel behaves differently. The zinc coating that protects the steel from corrosion is bonded at a molecular level — it doesn’t peel or chip the way a painted finish can. Steel expands and contracts without cracking.

Our water butts connect to standard UK downpipe fittings (68mm round or 65mm square) using a diverter kit (available separately from most DIY retailers). A brass tap is fitted at the base as standard — brass rather than plastic, because the tap is the highest-wear component and it should last as long as the water butt.

Installed next to a brick wall, a painted fence or a period property, a steel water butt looks considerably more at home than its plastic equivalent. The surface is acid-etched before despatch to begin the weathering process; wind, sun and rain then develop the patina over time.

Product details

The water butts are made in 1.5 mm galvanised steel and can contain more than 300 litres of rainwater. A hose-ready, brushed chrome tap is set at watering can height. A total of 90 coach bolts are used in the construction of the butt. All joints are treated with a waterproof mastic prior to final assembly, and the butts are treated to give an aged patina, which will further develop over time.

The dimensions below are approximate and are based on the actual size of the container, excluding the legs and ball decorations.

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At Arthur Jack we consider our water butt to be the best water butt available on the market in terms of both style and durability, especially compared to an off the shelf plastic water butt that is all too common in gardens. All of our small or large water butts for sale on our website are made in the UK to order by artisan metal workers and although our water butts may cost more than their plastic counterparts your Arthur Jack small or large galvanised water tank will look the part and last much longer.

Various extras are available

– A galvanised grille to protect against rodents, birds and leaves
– A galvanised box-section plinth for added protection to the base (particularly useful when sited on open ground rather than a hard standing)
– The 2.5 cm hole for accessing water can be placed in various locations according to personal requirements