Memorial Horse Trough Opposite Albert Gate Entrance

The memorial horse trough, dating from 1892, is located opposite the Albert Gate entrance in Hyde Park. It was donated by J H Buxton through the Metropolitan Free Drinking Fountain & Cattle Trough Association. The trough is made of grey granite and features a double trough supported by blocks, with spur stones at either end and a waste water tray beneath. There is a cistern at one end. Originally situated at Blackfriars Bridge, the trough was relocated to its current position in 1985 as a memorial to the horses killed in the IRA terrorist bombing of the Household Cavalry the previous year. A cast iron memorial plaque is mounted on the south end. The Metropolitan Free Drinking Fountain Association, founded in 1859 and which added cattle troughs in 1867, aimed to provide free fresh water to both people and animals at a time when clean water was scarce and often contaminated. By 1885, the association had helped protect over 50,000 working horses in London from dehydration by providing these troughs.