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Restoration of a Lead Pump | |
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| In 2015, Councillor Godfrey Holter, with financial support from the Lezant Parish Community Fund, took it upon himself to restore the old pump in Treburley, Cornwall, which had fallen into disuse with the coming of the water mains in 1953. It is estimated to be about 120 years old. | ||
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| The above photo was taken in 2010,
and by 2015 the wooden case which held the lead pump had rotted, and he decided
to replace it with an open frame to show more of the pump's features. The pump
was connected to a very heavy 2" diameter 25 ft lead downpipe and the entire
assembly had first to be lifted by means of a hoist. Although the bottom of the
well is nearly 30 ft below ground level, the water level was found to vary
between 8ft and 15ft below the bottom of the pump - a reassuring sign that,
once renovated, the pump should be able to operate
successfully. The two ancient wood and leather valves had to be replaced and Godfrey expertly turned a replacement plunger along traditional lines, matching very closely the old bucket & clack assembly. |
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| The leather gasket and leather clack are both held in place with copper nails, and the clack carries a dome-shaped lead weight, peened over on the underside. The inlet valve is of the same construction and was extremely difficult to re-nail into its location at the far end of the 3" diameter "rat's tail". | ||
To finish things off, the pump was mounted on an Iroko African hardwood frame and works efficiently, although naturally does require priming if left unused for some time. A bucket is left hanging on the spout in order to provide water for priming. |
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