Village water pump, St Nicholas
The pump by the churchyard wall provided water for villagers until mains water was laid on in the 1940s.
Before the pump was installed, water for domestic purposes had to be carried in buckets from a well c.400 metres (¼ mile) away in Well Lane. In dry summers the well ran dry, causing people to go even further afield to Homri Farm, another 400m away.
The Victorian pump was supplied by Lee, Howl & Company of Tipton, Staffordshire. It would have cost about 30 shillings (£1.50) at the time. The pump raised water from a cistern which still exists, below the grassed area. The pump was restored in 2023 by St Nicholas with Bonvilston Community Council.
According to local resident Richard Harry in 2024, the cistern was fed by water from the roofs of buildings. It’s not known whether the water was used for drinking and cooking or just for washing. Clean drinking water continued to be available at Well Lane.
The pump at Well Lane is a ‘Colonial’ model, made by Joseph Evans of Wolverhampton. Another pump of this type, by the Church Hall, was again supplied with water from roofs.
Richard’s father Cyril was involved in connecting the village to the mains water supply in the 1940s. This brought clean water from Bannau Brycheiniog (the Brecon Beacons) into people’s homes. Cyril was the village blacksmith, as you can read on our web page about the former smithy.
With thanks to Dick Williams and Richard Harry
Postcode: CF5 6SQ