Just up from the pet shop in Stonehouse is the village green, where many communities had their village water pump. If you look at the handle sticking out on the right you might see why this is known as a Cow Tall Pump.
In the olden days, well before homes were linked to water pipes, this was the only place to get your water. Would you believe it was the women's job to collect water from here and on Saturdays they had to bring extra as women weren't allowed to work on Sundays.
Going back even further years these pumps were introduced to stop having to walk to the nearest river or lake to make their collection easier.
There is an inscription plate on this one dedicated to a Harvey Lewis Esq.who was a native of the village but now lived in South Africa. He paid for the village green and pump to be renovated as a mark of respect to his parent's Joseph and Eliza Lewis and for the memory of his early life. This plate was dated 12th May 1937.
I don't think we appreciate all the modern things we have these days. In fact I've just spent a few days trying to purchase some bottled sparkling flavoured water which I like, there seems that all fizzy liquids is out of stock everywhere.
I should be glad that I don't have to carry my buckets to the village pump and pump the cow's tale up and down just to get a drink.
Wow! So interesting to see this. My father, now 27 ;) only read backwards (he hates being reminded his age), told us that when he was a boy, they too had to carry water from the village pump. It was mainly the children's task in the household.
At our old farm in Inglewhite we had a pump at the back door. We didn’t use it for ourselves but I used it everyday to fill up the hens water troughs. You had to,pump,away to prime it then you could feel the pressure of the water rising.
Women are definitely the stronger species!
Women are definitely the stronger species!