Survey Data
Reg No
15303009
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Social, Technical
Original Use
Water pump
In Use As
Unknown
Date
1870 - 1890
Coordinates
232569, 267854
Date Recorded
29/07/2004
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Freestanding cast-iron water pump, erected c.1880, comprising banded cylindrical shaft with fluted head, decorative spout and curved handle. Now missing cap and no longer in use. Set back from road in small enclosure and surrounded by rubble limestone wall with cement render over. Located to the east of Rathowen Village.
Appraisal
Water pumps played an important social role in the nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries by providing a communal water source. This cast-iron pump now serves as an attractive piece of street furniture, aesthetically enhancing the streetscape of Rathowen. The decorative detailing, such as the banding and fluting adds artistic interest to this once functional object.