Drinking fountains and water pumps

Does it mention Whitley, Anne? It looks far bigger than the buildings that remain there still now and that I can see on any old map?

I did think that Neil, I have tried to compare it with the pictures of bits of the station online but as you say it does look bigger. The article definitely says that the picture is a general view of Whitley pumping station. It is a long article about sanitation in the city. If anyone could get to the Herbert the original newspaper picture would probably be clearer. If you want a copy of the article I can send it direct. There is a picture of the Baginton treatment works ! And a picture of the engine house. If you are interested in pumping engines the Abbey pumping station museum at Leicester is well worth a visit. I am always amazed at the trouble the Victorians went to to make these things looks so nice.

This one is recorded as the back of Swanswell Street

Earlsdon Victorian drinking fountain

Neil, Once again we need dates. Wells came in long before pumping stations, so a lot of these drinking fountains in Coventry were here before. The one above, I believe, and most fountains are some way from the wells, the water travelled by tree trunks, from well to fountain, and were still being used in the 1930s. A good many went in 1936.

I don't disagree Kaga but each issue like this is a research project on its own. It's better that people post something rather than be dissuaded because they feel they need to be more complete. Eventually the bits link together. I know that one of the main sources of water for the city came from St Kathryn's Well, set over a spring. It gravity fed several conduits in the city including Spon Street and Conduit Yard. Probably using lead pipes. Another source was from the north, and the water tower there was initially filled by a windmill powered bucket system. I think that was owned and built by somebody called King after whom I think King Street is named. There is an odd feature in the landscape to the north and south of it that might be a road and or stream bed. I assume that the Foleshill Road removed the need for the old road and the canal changed the route of the streams. It's a lot clearer feature on the 1850 map. Water Tower. I know that Well Street well was originally ground fed but in later years (can't tell you when) was connected up to the water tower. I know where some of the conduits were in the city and somewhere I have info about when they were erected and vaguely what they looked like. I know that there was a major spring fed well just outside the Cheylesmore gate. But these are all bits and pieces. If I discover something is old enough for my research, I stop looking. Sorry.

Thanks to my friend Tony McSweeney who has a terrific collection of old Newspaper clippings. I hadn't seen this image before of the old St John's drinking fountain in the 1940s. It's still in its current position on Earlsdon Avenue South but I had not seen that lovely property behind it before. I've looked on the 1950 map and had also not realised Broadwater House had an entrance opposite at that time (rather than using the columned entrance still visible today in the bushes on Kenilworth Road). I don't think it's Broadwater though as looking on the map it's too close to the Fountain - there was a lodge though?