Number 12 Sewer Ventilation Column on Hillcroome Road

Number 12 Sewer Ventilation Column on Hillcroome Road is a Grade II listed structure built between 1896 and 1903 by W Macfarlane & Co for a sewerage scheme designed by Baldwin Latham. It is one of about 28 remaining sewer ventilation columns in Carshalton.

This cylindrical column stands approximately 9 meters high and is designed to resemble a Classical column, featuring a pedestal, moulded base, and enriched capital. It is made from cast iron and consists of two conjoined lengths of pipe connected by a flanged joint. Above the capital, there is a ball with vents that face in four directions, topped with a tall finial that is encircled by a filigree coronet. The finial also includes an ornate arrow that has been repositioned from below the vent; its purpose is believed to be either to orient the vent into the wind or to indicate the line of the sewer. While there is no visible manufacturer stamp on this column, several similar examples in Carshalton are marked with the name ‘W MACFARLANE & CO, GLASGOW’.