Beckington water pump

Image: © Neil Owen Taken: 22 Mar 2021

This is one of the old water supplies that the village relied on for many centuries. It has been boxed in and has a wooden handle after restoration. Indeed, the story of water in Beckington has quite a tale. There were many natural sources that served the needs, with no real concerns for a small rural population. However, in 1936 the then Frome Rural District Council moved to arrange piped supplies; the locals regarded it as an unneccessary expense and declined. The council countered that without a proper supply, the village could not expand, the sewage was not being dealt with properly and local farms would not be awarded Grade A certificates for their milk. Nevertheless, the pipes were declined. Frome council then responded by refusing to build any new homes until the water supply was secured, much to the disgust of the village elders. By 1938, the impasse was overriden and the laying of a centralised water pipe network began. By 1939, there were new homes built in Clifford.

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