GC18MZR Drinking Fountain and Troughs 001 - Merstham (Traditional Cache) in South East England, United Kingdom created by Merstham Mafia

This cache has been archived.

Long Man: As the owner has not responded to my previous log requesting that they check this cache I am archiving it.

If you wish to email me please send your email via my profile (click on my name) and quote the cache name and number.

Andy
Long Man
Volunteer UK Reviewer - geocaching.com
Geocaching.com Guidelines http://www.geocaching.com/about/guidelines.aspx
Geocaching.com Help Centre http://support.groundspeak.com//index.php
UK Geocaching Information https://wiki.groundspeak.com/display/GEO/United+Kingdom

GC18MZR ▼

A cache by Merstham Mafia Message this owner

Hidden : 4/3/2008

Difficulty:

Terrain:

Size: Size: micro (micro)

Join now to view geocache location details. It's free!

Watch

How Geocaching Works

Related Web Page

Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions in our disclaimer.

Geocache Description:

Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough - Merstham

This the first of a series of caches placed close to or associated with drinking fountains or animal troughs. The cache is located in Merstham close to an example of a Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association granite cattle troughs dated 1884.

The Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association was an association set up in London by Samuel Gurney an MP and philanthropist and Edward Thomas Wakefield, a barrister in 1859 to provide free drinking water. Originally called the Metropolitan Free Drinking Fountain Association it changed its name to include cattle troughs in 1867, to also support animal welfare.

Water provision in the nineteenth century was from nine private water companies each with a geographic monopoly, which provided inadequate quantities of water which was often contaminated, as was famously discovered by John Snow during the 1854 cholera epidemic. Population growth in London had been very rapid (more than doubling between 1800 and 1850) without an increase in infrastructure investment. Legislation in the mid nineteenth century gradually improved the situation; the Metropolitan Commission of Sewers was formed, water filtration was made compulsory, and water intakes on the Thames were forced to be moved above the sewage outlets.

In this environment the public drinking fountain movement began, initially in Liverpool where the local government was granted the ability to buy out the private water companies in 1847. It built the first public baths and then encouraged philanthropic public drinking water fountains. This was taken up by Samuel Gurney.

The surviving cattle troughs are mainly large granite ones, in many cases planted with flowers. Earlier designs were of cast iron or zinc lined timber, but both were too easily damaged.

The cache has a log book and a pencil

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Zntargvp, hc vafvqr

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)