Photograph of the wind pump at Owslebury
Taken about 1870
Owslebury's wind pump, newly built in 1870, was constructed not far from the centre of the village to pump water to three standpipe taps for the daily use of the villagers. The water was pumped from the well shaft into a reservoir tank and from there through pipes to the communal taps. There was a back-up steam boiler (seen immediately to the right of the wind pump) to provide power on windless days. Apparently the problem of frozen pipes in winter was sometimes resolved by setting fire to the straw packed round the pipes.
It ceased to operate early in the twentieth century, although the main structure was not demolished until about 1960.
The photograph was taken by Winchester photographer William Savage (1817-87) and is found in an album entitled 'Hampshire Views of Churches, Country Houses and Public Buildings'.
