Dug into the railings of the St. Sepulchre-without-Newgate Church, at the eastern end of Holborn Viaduct, is Londons first Drinking Fountain, erected in 1859 by the Metropolitan Drinking Fountain & Cattle Trough Association to great fanfare, and at its peak was being used by around 7000 people a day. The only interruption to the fountain’s service during its 150 year history was during the construction of the Holborn Viaduct during which time it was temporarily relocated. Due to the immense popularity of the fountain, the society built an additional 85 water fountains over the next 6 years, as well as the cattle troughs that were constructed in collaboration with the RSPCA. These were especially important around the live cattle market of Smithfield, where horses, dogs and cattle had often been brought from the surrounding counties. These water troughs became so important that their locations began to be built into maps, and the Victorians often referred to them as filling stations.
Posted on: Fri, 17 Oct 2014 11:10:28 +0000
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