The water cart

Road surfaces in years past were mainly bare earth which turned to mud in winter and dust in summer. Wagons and coaches struggled with the quagmires created by prolonged spells of wet weather while the clouds of dust kicked up by passing traffic during dry periods was a continual nuisance for road users and home owners who lived nearby.

The parish therefore employed a horse drawn water cart fitted with a rear spray bar which dampened the dust, as shown in this photograph taken in South Street circa 1875, with the almshouses and Cavalry House behind.

Water was plentiful in Bourne during that time when St Peter's Pool was producing about 13½ tons, or 70 hogsheads, a minute, enough to supply the inhabitants of Bourne for one day and to keep three water mills working within half a mile of its source.

Nevertheless, restrictions on the use of water during drought conditions were thought prudent and the Stamford Mercury reported on Friday 8th September 1854: "The continuance of dry weather has made the streets of Bourne very dusty and notwithstanding the abundance of water at the Wellhead, the water cart has for some time past ceased operations."

But even when water was plentiful, the water cart was not always on hand to deal with the dust created by long dry spells as the newspaper reported on Friday 7th September 1855: "On several occasions lately, the dust in the streets of Bourne has been enough to blind you and yet the abundant supplies of water in the Wellhead, and the good water cart somewhere, are not taken advantage of to remedy the nuisance."

By 1857, dust in dry weather was causing such serious problems that a public meeting was held at the Angel Hotel under the chairmanship of William Wherry and it was unanimously agreed that the Waterworks Company be empowered to constantly dampen the streets down on a regular basis throughout the summer months and that the cost be charged to the parish.

Note: One hogshead was just over 50 imperial gallons or 250 litres.

See also  Roads and traffic