Double Cattle Trough is a Grade II listed building in the City of London local planning authority area, England. First listed on 21 October 2005. Transportation structure.
Double Cattle Trough
- WRENN ID
- south-frieze-sparrow
- Grade
- II
- Local Planning Authority
- City of London
- Constituency
- Cities of London and Westminster MP: Rachel Blake (Lab)
- Country
- England
- Date first listed
- 21 October 2005
- Type
- Transportation structure
- Address
- Double Cattle Trough, West Smithfield, City and County of the City of London
- OS grid reference
- TQ 318 816
- Coordinates
- 51.51817, -0.10134
- Source
- Historic England listing
Description
The double cattle trough with a human drinking fountain at one end and a dog trough beneath was erected on 8 May 1881. Made of granite, it is a long rectangular trough supported by four granite blocks, each with a rounded granite bollard on the roadside. The ends feature ogee-shaped granite gables, with a semi-circular bowl for a human drinking fountain at one end; the other end's bowl has been removed, leaving only its support. An inscription on the side of the trough reads, "IN MEMORY OF / PHILIP TWELLS. M.P. / FOR THE CITY OF LONDON. MAY. 8. 1881." Another inscription on the roadside states, "METROPOLITAN DRINKING FOUNTAIN AND CATTLE TROUGH ASSOCIATION."
The Metropolitan Drinking Fountain Association was founded in 1859 by Samuel Gurney MP. In 1867, due to growing concerns for animal welfare, the association began installing water troughs for cattle, leading to the addition of "Cattle Trough" to its title.
This late 19th-century double cattle trough at Smithfield West is notable as a fine piece of street furniture, serving as a memorial to Philip Twells MP and located in the historic Smithfield Market meat district.
Local climate
Double Cattle Trough sits in one of the driest parts of the UK, with an average of 690 mm of rain a year. This makes it drier than 95% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is lower than that of 98% of listed buildings.
It experiences an average of 35 freeze-thaw cycles a year, more than 57% of listed buildings. Of these, 16 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.
Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.
More on this building
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- No EPC on record for this property
- No sale records on file
- No related consent applications matched
- Detailed attributes — period, style, materials, features
- Flood risk assessment
- Radon risk assessment
- Weather exposure and heating demand — rain and frost month by month and year by year, wind direction, solar and humidity
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