Survey Data
Reg No
40830004
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Social, Technical
Original Use
Water pump
Date
1900 - 1920
Coordinates
234635, 409796
Date Recorded
28/09/2010
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Freestanding cast-iron water hydrant, erected c. 1910, comprising fluted shaft on moulded base with cast-iron pale\bucket stand, and surmounted by fluted domed capping with acorn finial over, and having lion's head motif to spout. Pull lever to side. Foundry mark 'Glenfield & Kennedy Ltd, Kilmarnock' to shaft. Sited adjacent to road junction just to the south of the centre of Saint Johnstown.
Appraisal
An attractive piece of mass-produced cast-iron, which is an appealing and subtle feature in the streetscape adjacent to the south of the centre of Saint Johnstown. This particular example is notable due to its excellent preservation, and retains a pale\bucket stand that are now rare survivals. This water hydrant is of particular importance as a reminder of the mechanisms installed for the supply of clean drinking water in the period before mains water supply systems. The various fluted details, and the moulded lion's head motif in particular, enhances the artistic design quality of the piece, and indicates the equal importance of aesthetics as well as functionality. This lion's head motif may be a reference to the British Empire. The foundry mark indicates that it was made at the Glenfield and Kennedy Ltd. Foundry in Scotland, which was the major company producing and selling cast-iron water mechanisms within the British Empire during the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century. This example is located adjacent to a road junction to the south of the town centre, a common site for such items of street furniture. This simple item of street furniture makes a positive contribution to the streetscape of Saint Johnstown, and is an integral element of the built heritage and social history of the local area. It is one of three such artefacts in Saint Johnstown.