Drinking Fountain and Troughs 033: Hascombe Multi-Cache

This is another in the series of caches started by Merstham Mafia placed close to or associated with drinking fountains or animal troughs. The cache is located in the village of Hascombe.

There is room for a few vehicles to park at the above co-ordinates in front of the fountain but please pick your time as this can be a popular stop-off for locals collecting water from the fountain.

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 village fountain in Hascombe in Surrey is popular with residents and tourists alike as it is famous for its pure spring water that can be collected for free from the fountain. That fountain is inscribed with the words “Whosoever will let him take the water of life freely”. On weekends the village is busy with people filling their bottles with the water so why bother going to the supermarket for it!?

However there is a disclaimer notice from Hascombe Parish Council saying: “This water is not tested, is untreated, and must therefore be considered unsuitable for drinking. Users who take the water do so entirely at their own risk. 18/01/2011”

This fountain in inscribed “Whosoever will let him take the water of life freely”
and also has a plaque as follows:
”This fountain was built by Edward Lee
Rowcliffe of Hall Place in this Parish
In affectionate remembrance of his
Brother Henry Rowcliffe AD ABCD”

The practice of Well Dressing originated in Derbyshire as a thanksgiving for deliverance from the plague and is now carried out annually in many villages in that county. The photo shows this fountain dressed in August.

In 1893 he also built the neighbouring fountain on the Dunsfold Road between Cranleigh and Dunsfold. That fountain is inscribed:
“This fountain for the refreshment of wayfarers was placed by Edward Lee Rowcliffe AD 1893.” Sadly that fountain is no longer in use but was restored a few years ago. See also my cache GC2GKTY there.

Now move over to the nearby post box at N 51 08.943 W 000 34.353
record the times of last collection on Monday to Friday as E.FG
and the last collection on Saturday as H.JK

You can now search for the cache just a short walk away at:

N 51° F (B + J) . (B + A) (C - A - A) (D + G)

W 000° (E - C + A) (B / 2) . (E - D) (H + K) (C - A)

You are looking for a small Clip & Close container which has a log book and an Air Ambulance wrist band (hot from the open day at Dunsfold) and a toy car for swaps at time of placing. Please bring your own pen or 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.
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