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| The top of the old pump near the County Bridge in Brigg |
The historic Brigg water pump in Grammar School Road, South,
is now on full view again after completion of building work at Wetherspoon's White Horse pub. It’s nicely painted and looking in good shape (see picture at the end of this post).
Sadly, the other surviving pump – close to the County Bridge – is
looking more than a little weather-worn (top & second pictures).
Is it time someone at North Lincolnshire Council sanctioned
some TLC. After all, Valentine’s Day is not far away!
These water pumps used to supply the needs of poor households
in Brigg before piped supplies became universal.
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| The old pump in Bridge Street, very close to the County Bridge, Brigg |
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| The old pump in Grammar School Road South, adjoining the new Wetherspoon-run White Horse pub. |
2 comments:
A few points that the Powers-That-Be could ponder:
1. Surely it's not rocket science for somebody to make and replace some of the pumps' external bits - like their pumping handles?
It's a bit ironic that we have a steel works within spitting distance - complete with expertise in casting, while the Brigg pumps resemble bit of historic metal with bits fallen off...!!
2. While I'm on the floor spouting about historical things - there is undulating talk about replacing the town's 'Welcome to Brigg' gateway signs with something much grandeur.......
Consequently, I suggesting that we should not be too hasty in dumping the existing signs to some rag and bone man.
Perhaps, we could serious consider re-using such signs at the entrances to the town's car-parks. With a bit of flora and a tidy-up. I'm sure the signs would brighten Old Courts and the Angel cp's....
and another point.......during the rebuilding and refurbishment of the White Horse by the JP Wetherfolks folk, 3 wells were rediscovered; one was in a dangerous condition and had to be filled in; one was covered over and the third was made into a feature inside the pub by putting a glass table top over it.
The management said that they hoped to replace the opaque glass with clear.
C19th history indicates that these wells were probably the source of the cholera outbreaks.
(from sewage getting into the wells)
However, the pump was gravity fed by water pipe from St Helen's Well.
Commonsense would suggest that if the water went straight into a well, there would have been continuous and massive floods in the area.
Instead, the water pipe fed a tank thro' a ball valve - a bit like the toilet system - and water was pumped off from the tank.
This eliminated the cholera epidemics - for a while - until sewage also got into these tanks....thus there was another outbreak of cholera in the late c19th......after which there was piped water with a tap and etc.
Point to ponder - Which aspect of medicine has been the greatest of all life-savers?
Answer - the comparatively mundane Public Health Service - ie sewage, fresh water, hygiene checks in food premises, measles jabs.....
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