Alderminster Road, Mount Nod

Apologies if this has already been covered but anyone know what stood on the site of the Severn Trent pumping station on Alderminster Road, Mount Nod, I noticed the remains of what look like sandstone columns whilst walking past the other day, it has piqued my curiosity so would appreciate if anyone can solve this for me.

I've looked at some old maps Mick but cannot see anything significant on that spot before the station was built. I don't really know the full history of the site but the earliest map I can see it on is 1937. I wonder if the columns were simply just part of an early structure of the station itself.

Photos of the pillars: Photo 1 Photo 2

Fragments of blitz rubble?

It's been suggested that they may be drill core samples but they seem far too big.

There is another one, even taller. Bore hole cores doesn't seem implausible. There isn't anything on the map until the pumping station arrives.

Helen F, haven't seen the taller one, I assume it's behind the pump station out of line of sight from the road, I agree about bore hole cores being implausable, I'm surprised, with the vast pool of knowledge etc on this forum, that nobody seems to know where they came from.

You can see it on street view if you move further north and look back between the trees.

I took a pic of the place in August last year. I have cropped the image down to one of the items in question and enhanced it to get more detail.

I reckon you could be right - they look very similar to the pieces of collapsed cathedral pillar that were taken to the War Memorial Park.

But would they put rubble that close to an important water source?

I do recall seeing them when I used to cut through Alderminster on the way home from Woodlands so they have been there for years. As Helen says, also looked on Old-Maps but it was just empty fields in that area until development arrived. Again no idea why they would put 'rubble' there - unless they need something weighing down perhaps? Although they do look like they are in deliberate lines. I love a good mystery!

The bore hole is 700 feet deep and goes through sandstone. Maybe these were left around for reference or just as a bit of interest and no-one got rid of them?

Osmiroid surely clinches it. The aquifer would be nearer to the surface at the foot of the slope down from Broad Lane. As a youngster - in late 40s - like many another from Lime Tree Park, I would play in the field which lay between the pumping station and Broad Lane. It was part of Billings's Mount Nod Farm. Access would be gained by a well-trodden route which involved crawling under barbed wire almost opposite Larch Tree Avenue. More conventionally you could use the right of way which ran alongside the tarmacked road which ran from opposite Job's Lane down to the p.s. In those days there were two features of interest in the field. Just beyond the Larch Tree entrance was 'the Foxholes': a considerable excavation of some antiquity, judging by the age of the trees around it, which I guess was a marl pit. Thirty yards or so further W. were the concrete moorings of a wartime barrage balloon site. In snowy weather the Foxholes were excellent for sledging. Footie was largely confined to the flatter land down towards the pumping station. Best fun was in the field through which 'the Brook' ran. The clay which lined it could be used to make fine water-proof dams. Happy days!