Bamford's Covered Chain Pump blue plaque

This blue commemorative plaque records: Bamford's Covered Chain Pump. Restored by Ted Holmes (Lodsworth Parishioner) in 1999. This pump made by Henry Bamford & Sons in about 1870, was previously erected outside the iron railings in front of the present day water pumping station situated between Lodsworth and the A272. It was used by drovers to fill a water trough for horses and cattle. The simplicity in design of the pump meant that it could not be affected by frost. It allowed one man to turn the flywheel and deliver up to 1500 gallons of water per hour from a depth of 12 feet (3.66m), the maximum working depth being 30 feet (9.14m). The pump with a 12ft (3,66m) lift cost £4.10s. (£4.50) plus 3s.6d. (17.5p) for each extra foot required. The compactness of the pump and the ease with which it could be fixed made it suitable for export to the colonies where, in Australia, it gained First Prize in the Sydney Exhibition of 1880.

Bamford's Covered Chain Pump, invented by Henry Bamford & Sons around 1870, was a durable and efficient water extraction device used by drovers for livestock; its design won First Prize at the Sydney Exhibition of 1880, highlighting its significance in agricultural history.