Amble Water Supply 1873

[janwhin]

A survey of the water supplies for the Alnwick district was undertaken in 1873 and reported in the Alnwick Mercury.

Amble had five sources of drinking water:
1. Springs issuing from the south side of Gloster Hill, supplying the gas works and residences of the Hendersons. They had also supplied Victoria Street and the western end of the village but because of "abuse" they were excluded from using it;
2 & 3. Two public wells, High and Low Bank Wells, in the centre of Amble. Access is down "declivitous muddy banks" and they are fouled by storm waters;
4. The "Douglas South Pump" which until recently supplied the tenants and owner of Marks Row. The privilege was "abused" and the tenants now had to go to the High or Low Bank Wells;
5. The "Douglas East Pump" in the "Sea Lane" (Church Street??) supplying the eastern and harbour portion of Amble. Users paid 1s a year for water from this source. It also supplied surrounding farms and places short of water, by barrel cart.

There was also a minor source of water in a well near the quarry which would be used for 6 newly completed concrete houses built for Broomhill pitmen.

I wonder what kind of "abuse" caused Victoria Street and the west and Marks Row to lose their privileges

[hollydog]

Very interesting, our shop cellar and others on Queen st have a constant wet trickle through them so it doesn't surprise me to hear of wells in the area.

[Coquet]

Here are 3 pumps on the east end. (1897)

Could the one at the bottom of Queen Street be the Low Bank one, and the Percy Street ones be the Douglas East Pump?

[Coquet]

Those Percy Street boreholes are probably under someone's living-room floor now.

[Coquet]

I was googling about to find some info on pump boreholes - depths etc. Bit illusive, but this guy restored a pump and found the original borehole to stick it back on top of, which was 4 metres deep.

[actually 4 metres to the water... total depth?]

edit.. 7.7m is maximum depth that can be lifted with the simple pump apparently...

[Coquet]

Directory of village pumps on that site as well.

http://www.villagepumps.org.uk/directory.htm

Acklington makes it in.

[janwhin]

We've got a borehole and it is much deeper, at least 20 to 30 metres.