Water Supply in Thornbury
Pumps
Stafford Morse MA, the Secretary of
the Society of Thornbur
y Folk, teacher and local historian, has written an
account of Thornbury in 1851 which says that "the public water supply was
derived from two pumps - the 'Upper Pump,' opposite the Beaufort Arms
(now the Picture House) and the 'Lower Pump' on the Plain".
The pump on The Plain might not necessarily be the pump that those who are familiar with Thornbury might imagine.
The photograph here on the right shows the position of a pump at the top of Castle street that might have been on the site of an old well.
The story of the well known Pump on The Plain (which Morse referred to as the Lower Pump) is outlined on another page (click here to read more)
There was another pump in the
High Street just below the Exchange (Knot of Rope) which seems to be the
"Upper Pump". This appears in photographs of the High
Street, one of which is here below left. It was mentioned in a
newspaper article of February 1945 when it was decided to remove the
broken pump "but it was suggested that a manhole be placed there so that
water might still be obtained in an emergency. It was pointed out that
the water had long been
condemned for drinking purposes."
Stafford Morse also notes that 1851 was a particularly dry year, especially in the autumn "so that in December there was a great scarcity of water and a large number of wells in the town ceased to function. The two public pumps 'yielded but a partial and scanty supply' and almost all the rainwater tanks were were exhausted. The farmers had to haul water long distances.'" Thornbury had to find more reliable water sources.
The inside cover of the Parish Records of St Mary's Church in Thornbury shows that one attempt at providing a solution to Thornbury's water problems was to dig deeper wells. A 91 feet well was dug in Bullseye Lane in November 1859 at the behest of William Osborne Maclaine. We have been told that this well was contaminated when the market was opened up near the site.
The 1903 map shows that another pump appeared near Savery's forge in what is now Gloucester Road.
The pumps remained in place long after they were supposed to be unnecessary and certainly long after they ceased to be usable. A newspaper report of January 1938 says that Mr Harker asked if the pump opposite Mr Bayliss's house could be in order to be used for cart and car washing. Mr Riddiford was of the opinion that it was unreasonable to ask rate payers to go to this expense when most residents owned neither carts nor cars. No mention was made of the fact that if the pumps could not be used there was no point in having them. A report of a Thornbury Parish Council meeting dated 16th April 1938 mentions that a letter was to be read asking for the Parish Council to forward a request to the District Council that the three remaining pumps could be removed as they were no longer operable. The whole discussion did not even take place as there was a point of order about the areas of responsibility of the two Councils. It seems as usual that Thornbury found it easier and cheaper to do nothing.
The pump which was referred to
"opposite Bayliss's" seems to have remained in place for some time
because it can still just be seen
here in the photograph on the right.
It is
opposite the front door of the house which was modernised by Francis Hopkins
around 1954. Click on the thumbnail image for a larger photograph. For those unfamiliar with Thornbury at that time, the
pump was sited at what is now the junction of Rock Street and Bath
Road. This pump was marked on the 1880 map but it is not clear when it
was put in place. The 1880 map
also shows a pump near the Union Workhouse, one at the School opposite the
Church (which is now St Mary's School), one near the Chantry, one at Park
House, one outside the bank on The Plain and one further down Castle Street.
Click here to read about the wells
This page was last updated: 09/04/2010