Car Tour 5 The Epilogue

This is just a short piece finishing off my Car Tour 5. It didn't fit into Part 3 and because we failed to find the Iron Age Hill Fort that would have ended the final part, I have just added this as an interesting full stop. You can start the tour at Car Tour 5 Part 1 Cullompton Church

This little gem isn't even marked on Google Maps because I looked. It is in the Somerset village of Hemyock where there is an ancient church and a castle. It is one of those castles that passes most people by, it is so old and so well hidden, blink and you have missed it. All I got to show for my troubles was a picture of an arched gateway. It is a private home and virtually invisible from the road. So instead, I give you this little treat.

If you Google Hemyock Victoria Memorial nothing comes up so as this appears to be a multi-purpose memorial to both Queen Victoria, Edward VII and also a memorial to the end of the Boer War, I eventually Googled South Africa Memorial and it finally appeared.

Hemyock's South African memorial takes the form of an ornate cast-iron village water pump located in the center of the village in Devon, England. The historic pump was erected to commemorate the reign of Queen Victoria, the coronation of King Edward VII, and the peace agreement ending the South African (Boer) War in 1902.

Devon and Somerset News - Thursday, 21 August 1902

HEMYOCK.

There was again an exceptionally good attendance at the fortnightly market on Monday. A lot of stock of all sorts was sent in, and good prices were realised.

The celebration of the Coronation was carried out here on Thursday, the 14th. The town was nicely, decorated for the occasion. Strikingly good arches had been erected at two entrances to the Square from the station end and Culmstock end; another very good one coming from Castle Hill, by Mr. Hall's shop, and there were several smaller ones.

At 12.30, headed by the Uffculme Brass Band, a procession was formed of the Coronation Committee, and a great number of parishioners, from the Board school to the town pump, where the new memorial and pump combined, erected by Messrs. Stenner, of Tiverton, was unveiled by the Rev. J. de B. Forbes, as chairman of the Parish Council, and also of the Coronation Committee. After this, ceremony different groups around the new memorial were photographed by Miss E. Stewart, of Crediton, including one of the Coronation Committee only, and then two other groups of the public company assembled.

At 1 p.m. the procession was re-formed, and marched to the Board school to dinner. The meal had to be served in two different groups, the schoolroom not being large enough for the accommodation of the whole company at once. About 120 sat down each time, and enjoyed a capital cold repast, served by Mr. J. M. Clode, of the Railway Hotel. The first group was photographed by Miss Stewart. After dinner, for each group, the toast of "The King" was proposed by the Rev. J. de B. Forbes, and very heartily responded to. Subsequently an adjournment was made to a field near the Board cchool, lent by Mr. J. Mortimer, where sports, dancing, and other amusements were enjoyed by all until a late hour

of the evening. It should also be stated that a tea was provided in the Board school for all women and children in the afternoon. Everything passed off without a hitch, the only one drawback being a severe thunderstorm in the afternoon.

Besides the lamp, that surmounts the memorial at the town pump, three others had been erected as a permanent memorial of the Coronation-one near the Board school lighting Station-road and Egypt-street, one leading into the Square from Culmstock-road, and another near the church, coming from the Castle Hill-road. These are to be lighted in the coming Winter months by public subsoription.

The Hemyock town water pump was an issue before this decorative memorial was installed. The water in Hemyock had been of questionable quality since at least 1893 when a letter to the Devon and Somerset News referred to it.

"This, Sir, is like a certain "Town Pump" of which your correspondent speaks, which runs bad or good water by turns; "

This pump clearly didn't solve the clean water issue, as in 1912, ten years later it was still making headlines. In fact it was not just making headlines but a poem too. A verse imagining pure filtered water available inside your home, piped directly, and not collected in the street.

Devon and Somerset News - Thursday, 1 August 1912

HEMYOCK.

HEMYOCK'S GREAT NEED-"PURE

WATER!"

"VILLAGE PUMP IN A HUMP."

The old Village Pump on the Square's in a hump,

It's temper is plain to be seen,

Scarce a son or a daughter, pumps now for water.

For some one has said "it's unclean!"

You may aptly surmise, and need not disguise,

The fact why it is impure.

For dribbling thereby, if wet or if dry.

Tis said there's a bad stinking sewer.

Whence it comes or it goes? Still, somebody's nose

Has been poking well into the matter.

Small wonder the pump appears in a hump.

This sewer's created a clatter.

Now does it not seem, that the quiet-flowing stream,

Which rushes away from " Mountsend,"

Through filters may glide, and cheaply provide.

'Pure water" and be a "Godsend."

Some pebbles and sand may be got close at hand,

To keep the stream limped and pure;

And by tank and pipe, you could if you like,

Send water to every one's door.

No need of a pump, to get in a hump.

And worry your wife, son, or daughter,

Then, Oh! What a boon, upstairs in a room,

To just turn the tap for some water !

J. L. YATES.

Twenty two years on and some houses in the village were still relying on the pump without piped water to their property. The water was still a problem and had to be boiled before use. A hearing was held in the village hall to discuss a new water scheme.

Tiverton Gazette (Mid-Devon Gazette) - Tuesday, 25 September 1934

Hemyock Wells "Not Satisfactory."

Going back to Hemyock they had the Medical Officer of Health saying that the water supply was badly needed. They had a number of wells tested and he was sorry to say that those wells were not satisfactory from the public health point of view. There were a number of houses at Hemyock which had no water supply at all and the people had to rely on the Village Pump. Therefore, there was an apparent need of a public water supply at Hemyock. A number of years ago the Devon Medical Officer came there and strongly advocated that there should be a public water supply at Hemyock. He said that there were a number of wells that were unsatisfactory and a number were cleaned out but even then some of the people had to boil the water before it was fit to use, and as far as he knew they were doing so to-day-at least they ought to be. The Medical Officer and Sanitary Inspector for their district had on many occasions called attention to the need of a public water supply.

Surprisingly it was not to be until the late 1970's that Hemyock ceased its reliance on wells and springs for its water supply.

The Modern Pipeline Transition (Late 1970s / 1980s): The major shift to the modern mains water system happened when a new pipeline was constructed to connect Hemyock to the Wimbleball Reservoir, which was completed and began supplying water to the region in 1979 / 1980. This project successfully moved the village away from its reliance on local springs and older, vulnerable pipeline routes. AI Overview