Blog

Oct 21, 2024

Mystery surrounds missing Victorian water pump - BBC News

Image source, Ben Ellwood A cast iron Victorian water pump has vanished from a street in Shrewsbury - with suspicions it could have been sold for scrap or even used as a garden ornament. The Grade

Image source, Ben Ellwood

A cast iron Victorian water pump has vanished from a street in Shrewsbury - with suspicions it could have been sold for scrap or even used as a garden ornament.

The Grade II-listed pump has stood on St Michael's Street since the 1870s and Shropshire councillor Nat Green described it as "part of Shrewsbury, part of our history".

Shropshire Council, Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service and West Mercia Police all said they were unaware of what had happened to it.

Mr Green said be believed it had been stolen and added: "Unfortunately I suspect we won't see it again."

The three-foot (0.9m) tall pump was one of a number installed in Shrewsbury to supply clean water to the town and it was given Grade II listed status in 1995.

When it was taken out of service a metal rams head was placed over its spout, but the words "waste not, want not" were still inscribed upon it.

Until recently it stood on the pavement in front of the modern day headquarters of Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service.

In a statement, it said: "It was not part of any live Shropshire fire hydrants or water supplies, so would have been potentially removed by highways as they are responsible for the path, trees and associated items in this area."

But Shropshire Council said: "Our historic environment team have been made aware of the disappearance of the listed pump, however we have no further information about its whereabouts or what happened to it."

West Mercia Police said it had no record of the pump going missing.

Mr Green said the pump was "one of these historical artefacts which may be small but which enriches our environment and allows us to maintain contact with the past".

He believed it had been stolen for scrap or that "somebody very selfishly just took it for an ornament for their garden".

Mr Green said it was also possible "it was just a Saturday night jolly jape".

He said listed status "should give very high protection" and the penalty for removing one without permission was "pretty high".

But he did not expect it to be found again.

Tell us which stories we should cover in Shropshire

Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.