The Water Pump & Trough

Villagers using the pump circa 1900

Water has played a very important part in the history of Fairburn in its everyday working life and as part of its leisure time. As a result of a fault in the strata of the rock formation, Fairburn is fed by numerous fresh water springs, some of which can still be seen running profusely even during very dry spells of weather. Many residents in the village today can remember carrying water from the wells and standpipes which provided the villagers with fresh water long before a modern water supply was installed bringing water from Roal at Whitely Bridge. Those who lived in the cottages at "Top Fold" not only had the luxury of a well in each garden but also a pump fixed at the side of the kitchen sink, during the demolition of buildings in Top Fold all these wells were filled in. The two Miss Bramleys who lived at "Cross House" at the bottom of Gauk Street, had a well under their kitchen floor and were most enterprising as they sold water at in a bucket. "You had to bring your own bucket and they would fill it for 1d. Some people made their own wooden yokes so that they could carry more buckets." These yokes were locally known as a 'round, square yoke.' Numerous standpipes served those who did not have immediate access to a well, one was located opposite Chapel Yard in the farm, another in Silver Street, and another at Caudle Hill. During the winter the villagers were careful to keep a bottle full of water at all times in case the pipes froze, this would ensure that there was always a bottle to be boiled to de-frost the standpipe otherwise no one would have water. One villager remembers "On Sunday mornings there was a steady procession of husbands to the standpipe filling every container available full.

The remains of the pump and trough before renovation circa 1999

Hole where the pump was once mounted