Survey Data
Reg No
40814006
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Social, Technical
Original Use
Water pump
Date
1900 - 1930
Coordinates
221399, 432308
Date Recorded
09/01/2011
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Freestanding cast-iron water hydrant, erected c. 1910, comprising fluted shaft on moulded base surmounted by fluted domed capping, twist lever to east face, cast-iron bucket\pail stand to base, and having lion's head motif to spout (south). Now out of use. Foundry mark 'Glenfield & Kennedy Ltd, Kilmarnock' to shaft. Sited in rectangular recess in rubble stone wall with footpath adjacent to south. Located along main road in the streetscape a short distance to the east of the centre of Carrowkeel\Kerrykeel.
Appraisal
An attractive piece of mass produced cast-iron, which is an appealing and subtle feature in the streetscape to the east of the centre of Carrowkeel\Kerrykeel. This water hydrant is of particular importance as a reminder of the mechanisms installed for the supply of clean drinking water in the period before mains water supply systems. The various fluted details, and the moulded lion's head motif in particular, enhances the artistic design quality of the piece, and indicates the equal importance of aesthetics as well as functionality. This lion's head motif may be a reference to the British Empire. The foundry mark indicates that it was made at the Glenfield and Kennedy Ltd. Foundry in Scotland, which was the major company selling cast-iron water mechanisms within the British Empire during the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century. This simple item of street furniture makes a positive contribution to the streetscape, and is an integral element of the built heritage of Carrowkeel\Kerrykeel.