This is the 29th in
the series of caches placed close to or associated with drinking
fountains or animal troughs. The cache is located in Biggin Hill
near an example of a Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle
Trough Association granite cattle troughs.
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.
This cache is NOT located at the above coordinates, which is for
the trough itself and a good point to start from. To find the cache
find a place to sit, and look for Rowland and Phyllis. Note that
their date of birth = ab.c.de respectively. Assume 10 = 0
The cache is located at:
Rowland = N 51° 19.d (b+c) c
Phyllis = E 000° 01.(c+6) c (b+0)
The cache is a short distance away, please take care while
crossing the road.
|
The cache has a log
book and a pencil
If any body would like to expand to
this series please do, I would just ask that you could let Merstham
Mafia know first so they can keep track of the cache numbers and
names to avoid duplication
|
