Water before 1934

Harry Floyd Tells Rosemary Mortham about Water before the Mains.

COLLECTING RAINWATER

Before the installation of mains water, most houses were supplied with water from tanks, which collected rainwater from the roof.   People used a bucket to collect what they needed for use in the house; but in a few house, such as Hillcrest” in Goodacres Lane,(then owned by Harry’s grandfather, William Saunders, later converted into flats), water was hand-pumped to a tank in the loft from where it was piped down to the taps.   Other houses had hand pumps either in the kitchen or just outside the back door to supply their needs.

"SUICIDE" TANKS The tanks were usually about ten to fifteen feet deep and about eight to ten feet across.   Most were underground with a lid to allow access to the water.   Jumping into these tanks was one way of committing suicide.   It was impossible to climb out.   In times of severe drought the tanks would run dry.

DEW PONDS COULD BE "NUTRITIOUS" The only other water was from the numerous “dew ponds” around the village.  The one in Kiln Lane, which was known as “Deep Pit”, was used for human consumption only, as was the one situated next to Well Cottage in Church Lane.   Such ponds were known as “keech ponds” and were surrounded by a fence to keep animals out.   Frank Claydon could remember lime being added to these ponds to “purify” the water, which, nevertheless, often contained the odd insect or tadpole which was said to make it more nutritious.

ONE TRUE WELL The only true well in Lacey Green was at Grymsdyke House, then owned by the Carters.    It was said to be dug over three hundred feet deep. The water from this well was pumped by electricity into the house.

Report after conversations with Harry Floyd and Rosemary Mortham

BEFORE THE HOUSES WERE CONNECTED to mains water, most people did their washing in a copper with a fire underneath.   This did not require more than a few buckets of water.

AN OUTSIDE WASH-HOUSE George Maunder’s wife used to come every Monday to Stocken Farm to do the washing in an outside wash-house.   Big houses had a separate washroom, or sent their washing out.   The Carters at Grymsdyke employed two washerwomen who lived in Grymsdyke Cottages.

OUTSIDE TOILETS

Toilets were mostly outside and relied on a bucket which had to be emptied.   Others were no more than a hole in the ground, which had to be cleared out from time to time.   The sludge then was put on the garden.   Flush toilets were not installed until after mains water had been laid on.   Doris Oliver moved into the village in 1948, and the locals thought it quite strange that she and her husband intended to build an indoor bathroom and toilet at Sunnybank (later White House Farm).   At that time, only the largest houses had such luxuries.   Stocken Farm had a bedroom converted into a bathroom in 1934.   In spite of this apparent lack of hygiene “upset tummies” were quite rare.   Of course the water was soft and free from “modern pollutants”.