MAY 2024 HERALD online

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THE HERALD • MID-MAY 2024 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@markfieldherald.co.uk
Markfield’s Water Famine
“People were having to go about begging for water”
THE OLD NEWSPAPERS inform us that the current day
Markfield residents are lucky that we did not have to
suffer the ‘Adam’s Ale’ situation of the 1920s.
The following words are gathered from the local newspapers, I suspect
Parish Records and other historical records may perhaps tell another story.
For example, in November 1920, the Parish chairman declared that “it was
a sad thing to be without water, but they could not do impossibilities”:..
“The Pump”, there only seems to have been one, was recorded to be on
the Village Green. A fairly good number of the residents, had to rely on this
village pump for their drinking water. There are constant records of :-
“Markfield’s Water Famine – Queues waiting for water and such like,
which have brought this Leicestershire village into a not altogether enviable
prominence”.
“It was a case of racing for water, at times up to three-quarters of a mile to
fill a kettle.”
In an inclusion in the Newark Herald, Markfield is recorded as being
beautifully situated and delightfully picturesque on a Summer’s day, but it
noted that land, housing and water were three great needs and no drinking
water for neatly 20 hours out of 24 was though quite a serious state of
affairs.
Nightly parade to fetch water from Hill Hole
During the water shortages several villagers were fortunate to have their
own wells and such a good spirit prevailed, that those who had water were
invariably prepared within reason, to help their less fortunate neighbours.
In March 1930, the precious village pump was actually out of order for 3
months and there was nightly parade to Hill Hole to obtain water. The mind
boggles. Thank goodness that the many discarded vehicles, now present,
had yet to arrive.
The pump had previously been kept in repair from money received by the
letting of the village green to show people for the annual wakes, but since
the show had been removed to a private ground, there had been no income
for the pump fund.
Having a tap for water was therefore for most an unusual situation.
The water supply was apparently as common to other villages and was
obtained from private wells for the most part, but as Markfield stood in a
very elevated position and in a neighbourhood in which a great deal of
rock abounded, some of the wells were not that successful. The deepening
of some wells was attempted too. In July 1921 when an inspector arrived
in the village, he discovered that the village pump was securely fastened
with a padlock and chain. The well was though found to be 100 feet deep
and contained an excellent supply of water. The pump at that time was
locked up every day until about 4.00 o’clock in the afternoon and was left
unchained until about 9.00 pm in the evening. On Sundays the opening
hours were from 8 to 10 to facilitate with the preparation of Sunday dinner.
It was that desperate. At this time the newspapers reported that 200 people
were dependent on a well for water, assumedly the one on the Green. It
seems people would rather visit a pump, however distant it was, than pay
extra rates for water. Times were hard.
Contractors bored 300 feet through rock
Attempts were continually made to locate water. In 1924 a Mr Kirk
advertised himself as a water diviner “If you want water I can find it”. A
well sinker in 1934 seems to have had a more unusual approach in the
search for water as he with two other quarrymen were in court for stealing
explosives from the quarry. Also, in May of 1934 some contractors boring
300 feet through rock had located a good supply of water which was neither
If you rub a dock leaf on Sting he will disappear.
too hard or soft. They also discovered three sources of water in a field.
They had used patent water & oil detecting apparatus. It probably wasn’t
Mrs Lillingston’s land where they were searching for water, but she kindly
as ever, let the residents of the Council Houses at the top of Ashby Road
get their water from a spring on her land at Ulverscroft, which was two fields
away from them. It was, though, a steep walk all the way back home.
Records appear to be confusing as in 1928 a £2,000 scheme was to
be proceeded with after a unanimous decision to accept it. Confusing
newspaper inclusions appear to suggest that the siting of the new
Sanitorium in the village may have saved the day, much earlier than would
otherwise have been expected. For in May 1930:- “Leicester Corporation
was taking water to Markfield in connection with the new hospital
being erected there. …It would be a distinct advantage if the Leicester
Corporation could take the supply to the village, as the Markfield people
were in a serious position.”
Only 50% of well water samples were good
In May 1928 Markfield was not only having to cope with an ongoing
water shortage, it also had to face the threat of an epidemic of diphtheria.
In March 1928 the school was reported to be filthy, badly heated and
ventilated and that children were kept all day in “a wretched place”. Again,
no proper water supply was noted with men recorded as carrying water
from the village pump. The quality of the village water was of course of
prime importance too. In 1934 eleven samples of Markfield well water were
tested of which - 5 were good, two suspicious and four bad.
Water shortages must of course have been assisted by extremely
inclement weather. In August 1934 for example a terrific rainstorm arrived
in the village. It was so fierce that screen wipers were rendered useless,
driving wind penetrated cars, one car had its windscreen cracked, sewers
were clogged with water and manhole covers were blown off with water
being shot up in the air forming huge fountains on the main road.
Water was not just needed for drinking. In January 1931 a bus caught fire
on Nanpanton Hill on route to Markfield. Passengers were forced to leave
their shopping and scramble out of the rear door. The firemen were unable
to subdue flames due to lack of water and the chemical fire extinguishers
had absolutely no effect. Balloon tyres burst and the bus was reduced to a
mass of cylinders. Blazing petrol lit up the countryside.
In 1934 A farmer was in trouble for adulterating his milk with water.
Formerly, in May 1930 the men of the village, defined then mostly as
miners, had a much better idea of dealing with water shortages. If they
couldn’t get water they would drink beer instead as it was easier to obtain.
So when you go to a sink or switch on the dish washer or washing
machine, try to forget the financial cost and realise how fortunate you are.
And every time you pass the lower Green in Markfield, think of the well
that was once the source of life for so many villagers.
Di Lockley
“It would be a distinct advantage
if the Leicester Corporation could
take the supply to the village, as
the Markfield people were in a
serious position.” (Report in May 1930.)
Contacting an old friend can be nerve-wracking
HAVE YOU been wondering
about an old friend with
whom you have lost
contact? Do you feel a bit
hesitant about contacting
them again?
You are not alone. It seems that
rekindling an old friendship can be
as nerve-wracking as speaking to a
stranger, according to the findings
of a recent study by the University
of Sussex.
The study found that although nine
in ten of us have lost touch with an
old friend, and although we would
greatly welcome a message from
them, we personally feel nervous
about making the first move.
The most common reasons are
fear that the old friend might not
want to hear from us, that it would
be ‘too awkward after all this time’,
and that we feel guilty that we had
not been in touch before.
But Dr Gillian Sandstrom, a
psychologist and Director of the
Sussex Centre for Research on
Kindness, said that the people who
pushed past their hesitation and did
reach out to an old friend reported
feeling happier.
She said that past research
suggests that old friends appreciate
you reaching out, even more than
you expect.