WEST CRAVENS WATER HISTORY

[Stanley]

WEST CRAVENS WATER HISTORY

Date: 19 Mar 2005
Topic author: Mixman
Subject: West Cravens water history
Posted on: 19 Mar 2005 07:28:20
Message:
More about West Cravens water history
By a Special Correspondent
Delving into the old water supplies of West Craven, it is possible to go back a little further than the building of Elslack reservoir so vividly described in the Craven Herald and Pioneer last week.
Before the days of piped supplies, there were public troughs, wells and springs. People who went with their pails discussed "parish pump politics" -while they rested. At Thornton-in-Craven the church well was at the lowest point of the churchyard. There in 1764 the Rector constructed a domed building over it, describing it (in Latin) as a "health giving and never failing spring." In that situation, it would not commend itself as health-giving today; but the building is still a feature.
The hamlet of Stone Trough near Kelbrook takes its name from the trough, which stands beside the road, and was used as a public supply.
A hundred year’s ago piped supplies to individual houses were becoming more widespread. Each town, village and hamlet had its own] separate source of water, often grossly polluted.
WATER COMPANIES
In the 1880's and 1890’s, many water companies and sometimes the local authority accepted responsibility for improvements. The Kelbrook Water Works Company bought land for its reservoir in 1886. In 1891 the. Barnoldswick Local Board of Health too purchased a reservoir site at White Moor, and in the same year the Earby Water Company bought springs and an aqueduct on Moor Hall Farm from Matthew Watson. The Salterforth Water Company were later in the field, acquiring their reservoir site in 1921.
Private landowners were responsible for establishing a public supply in several villages. As well as Matthew Watson's supply at Earby, there were private water undertakings at Thornton-in-Craven, East and West Marton and Horton-in-Craven. Thornton's was sold to Skipton Rural District Council in 1927 and the Marton and Horton supply to the Craven Water Board in 1968.
It would be interesting to know if any relics of those old Water Companies survive. Certainly the Craven Museum at Skipton would be glad to hear of them.
Transcribed from the Craven Herald and Pioneer.
352
John Turner.