The chapter on Upton Scudamore in A History Of The County Of Wiltshire, Volume 8, Warminster, Westbury And Whorwellsdown Hundreds, originally published by Victoria County History, 1965, mentions that:
The works of the Trowbridge Water Company were established at Biss Bottom in 1873, despite some objection from the parish. They are invisible from the village, but the water tower raised near the main road in 1906 is a prominent landmark. It was given in memory of John Baron, a former rector, to provide a supply for the village.