A short research project into old drinking fountains I had spotted around West London
Why
They seemed invisible and unimportant to the modern city dweller but I wanted to discover their significant contribution to our past
How
You may not notice them but they are everywhere. Drinking fountains and drinking troughs are all over London. Erected mainly towards the end of the 18th Century. With huge problems with sewage and lack of clean drinking water throughout the city, disease was a big problem. The ingenuity and determination of a few saw the vision of providing clean water for the masses, available on every street corner. With beer being the main alternative and Evangelicals a major force behind the clean drinking water projects, many were situation opposite public houses.
The first fountain was built on Holborn Hill on the railings of Saint Sepulchre's church on Snow Hill, paid for by Samuel Gurney, and opened on 21 April 1859, pictured below.
You will find hundreds around London of all shapes and sizes, most no longer working, have a look!
Wiki - Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association
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