Monday 7 July 2014

Aldgate water pump

On the corner of Leadenhall Street and Fenchurch Street in the City of London stands the Aldgate Pump. Built in the early1870s it was used by local people for collecting water before homes were connected to the mains supply.













 The pump was connected to a nearby well that had been used as a water supply since the 13th C but unfortunately for the local people the supply was filtered through a local graveyard and was closed down in 1876 until it could be reconnected to a new water supply from outside the City.


 Sharing with
Our World Tuesday

33 comments:

  1. I love finding out these little facts from my old home City. The graveyard was probably full of people that the water supply eventually killed. Have a wonderful week x

    ReplyDelete
  2. Cool! Love the decorative spout.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh, dear. I'm glad they figured out the problem and rerouted the water supply! I love the wolf spigot.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love the wolf spigot too. I think if we had one here some hoodlum would soon steal the spigot.

    ReplyDelete
  5. It is fantastic water pump. What a pity it doesn't work now.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh, yes! I love the wolf spigot as well!! Unfortunately, we would probably have the same problem with hoodlums stealing the spigot that Joyful has written about! Hope you have a great week!

    ReplyDelete
  7. That was a bit unfortunate for the locals. Nice little bit of history that

    ReplyDelete
  8. Eeeek! Going through the local graveyard, how exactly? Love the Wolf Spigot, though. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Great post and creative photography for OWT ~ thanks, ^_^

    artmusedog and carol (A Creative Harbor)

    ReplyDelete
  10. What a wonderful old piece of history!

    ReplyDelete
  11. The bones of history there Fun60. Thanks for the unusual story and photographs.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Great post and the pump is neat with the spigot. Thanks for sharing, have a happy week!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Yikes ... not exactly the kind of filter one would want. Glad they figured it out eventually.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Interesting post and great shots of the old pump.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Nice pump and nice story too!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Oh, wonderful pump 'the Aldgate Pump' looks; and happy to hear that it could be reconnected. Yes, GORGEOUS wolf spigot♡♡♡

    Sending you Lots of Love and Hugs from Japan, xoxo Miyako*

    ReplyDelete
  17. Filtered through a grave yard? That does not sound very healthy! Thank you for telling us the story behind the Aldgate Pump!

    ReplyDelete
  18. What a super water pump. Was it installed by the Metropolitan Water Fountain and Cattle Trough Association? It's just the sort of thing they'd have put up and it's bang in the middle of the time they were at their busiest with the growth of the Temperance Movement. Really interesting post. All the best, Bonny

    ReplyDelete
  19. Wonderful shots of historic water pump.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Oh the water pump is just awesome! It's obviously one of the kind!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Fascinating bit of history! Perfect to share with Our World :)

    ReplyDelete
  22. Great bit of London history

    mollyxxx

    ReplyDelete
  23. You live in a city steeped in so much history ... thank you for sharing these snippets with us.

    ReplyDelete
  24. That's the finest looking water pump I've ever seen!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Love the wolf-water spigot! I love stories like this.

    Inside Cambodia

    ReplyDelete
  26. London has such an intriguing history waiting to be covered at every corner. You have given us a great slice of it with this image.

    ReplyDelete
  27. It really is amazing what history you discover everywhere there. Beautifully ornate for a utilitarian object...

    ReplyDelete
  28. This is an interesting bit of history.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Hi! Nice captures. I feel weight of the history in London. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  30. The pump looks beautiful, but the idea that the water went through a graveyard ....I wonder how the water tasted !

    ReplyDelete

Thank-you for reading my blog. I would love to read your comments.