Cattle Trough (At Junction Of West Carriage Drive With Serpentine)

This is a cattle trough located at the junction of West Carriage Drive with the Serpentine in Hyde Park, built in the late 19th century. It was provided by the Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association, as inscribed on the trough. The trough is made of grey granite and is supported by rectangular blocks, with a waste water tray beneath it. One end features a shaped head and cistern. Founded in 1859, the Metropolitan Free Drinking Fountain Association added cattle troughs in 1867 to provide free fresh water to both people and animals at a time when clean water was scarce and often contaminated. By 1885, the troughs helped prevent dehydration in cattle driven to metropolitan markets and over 50,000 working horses in London.