The village water pump
During a cup of tea, my sister happened to remark that whilst walking the dog they had come across the base of a water pump, near the mill stream track, next to Willow Tree Cottage (was Dolphin Cottage). Jane and Mark have a similar pump and recognised the base. I have walked past this metal base hundreds of times but never realised what it was....until now. The actual pump and handle are unfortunately long gone but it got me thinking....
.....when was the pump in use, who would have used it and when was running mains water introduced to the village?
Most of the the old houses and cottages were built alongside the brooks that ran down from East and West Hill so that they could use the constant supply of water. Over the years though pollution from grazing animals, farming and sewage made the water taken from the streams and brooks dangerous to drink. Some properties were lucky enough to have their own well, Elmgrove House, Hayne and Mallocks had a well in the garden, and I imagine many other houses and farmhouses had one too. Most of the cottages though were not so lucky, so they had to go to the pump for their water.
It was reported that the only public water pump was at Mr Potters, the blacksmith, ( The Old Smithy) which was only available up until 6pm, then it would be padlocked whilst the smithy was closed. Mr Potter would also service and repair the pump. The Urban District Council paid him £2, increased to £4 for this service in 1913. The pump supplied at least 9 cottage tenants. This arrangement continued until 1924 when a new well with a good supply of fresh water was found and the new community water pump at Dolphin Cottage was installed in 1925.
There was much gossip and suspicion in the village about the quality of the water in the new well, so the council " ever desirous of doing the right thing", sent a man out to collect a sample to be analysed.
The Council were told "the sample was of excellent purity, good for drinking and of satisfactory quality for domestic use" and so the chairman remarked "That's that"!
The pump would go on to be used for many years.
The household sewage would be buried in the garden or more often thrown in the brook or river. The mill would release water once a week, to increase the water flow, so everyone used to empty their waste, which would then get flushed quickly away into the river.
At many Ottery Council meetings the lack of help for the village was often brought up by local rate paying residents and a report was written in 1913.
"Conditions were a menace to the health of the village and an epidemic of contagious disease was imminent"
"It appears that provision has been made for the removable of the closet deposits to be collected only twice a week by means of a cart"!
Tipton wasn't connected with water and sewage mains until the l950s, as the new houses were built, with some more 'out of the way' properties still relying on a well and pump until the 1970s
We just take it for granted, to turn on on a tap or flush the toilet, but within living memory it was a case of walking with your bucket to the pump and 'fetch your pail of water' before you could even start the washing up!
Well, well, well....next time you are out walking, see if you can find what's left of the village pump.
Acknowledgements to Len Baker, Marilyn Berry, Chris Baxter, Ann Knight, Jane Hembury, Mark Taylor, British Newspaper Archives.
