Wraxall (click on photographs to bring up bigger/better versions).

A substantial wooden pump at Wraxall, N. Somerset. It features ornamentation in the form of shields bearing national flags, and is topped by a crown surmounted by a sceptre. Thanks to John Hurst for the photo. Markings: None other visible. Manufacturer: Unk.

	On an internal wall of an open-fronted outbuilding of the old Home Farm at Tyntesfield (NT), this pump was probably originally fully wooden-boxed. The operating rod is missing and the pump is no longer connected to a very long delivery pipe that is still in place, extending up the wall, across a roof truss and thence to the road where, in the absence of any other evidence so far, it could reasonably be assumed that it was used to fill water tanks carried on farm vehicles.
	Markings: Possibly a "3". Manufacturer: Unk.

		This one is in the Vinery, a large greenhouse in the Kitchen Garden at Tyntesfield (NT). Thanks to Dave Hunt for the photo.
		Markings: "3½". Manufacturer: Unk.

	But this one looks very odd. The pump is on the outside of the house, in the Inner Yard, but its handle extends inside to the Butler's Pantry (not currently open to the public). The delivery pipe - which is wooden-boxed - travels up on the outside to the first floor of the house. My first guess was that it supplied water to the upper storeys, perhaps to a cistern in the roof, but a guide said that in fact it was a hydraulic lift mechanism that was used to speed up the delivery of food from the kitchens. I'm not sure if it was a traditional service lift (i.e., a "dumb waiter") or large enough to carry people, but I've written to the NT for further information. However, they've got a lot on their hands there at the moment, so I'm not expecting a full explanation any time soon.
	Markings: None seen from a distance. Manufacturer: Unk.

		And here's the fourth pump, in a back room in the main house. It's of identical design to the one found at Home Farm, above, but with a short lead delivery pipe bent to form a spout. Thanks to Dave Hunt for the photo.
		Markings: None. Manufacturer: Unk.

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