water pump

Freestanding cast-iron waterpump, c.1875, comprising banded cylindrical shaft with spout having foliate motif, moulded necking supporting fluted head having curvilinear 'cow tail' handle, and fluted ogee-dome capping having finial. Now disused. Set in square at junction of three roads with mass-concrete trough, c.1925.

An appealing, if discreet feature in the streetscape representing an important early-surviving artefact in mass-produced cast-iron ware. Raised elements identify the artistic design quality of the piece while the curvilinear 'cow tail' handle in particular is an elegant feature of the composition. However, conceived primarily as a functional object the waterpump remains of particular importance as evidence of the mechanisms installed for the provision of water from a local source in the period before the development of mains systems.