Parish Pump, Stramore Road, Gilford, Co.Down

This is a good example of a cow-tailed water pump, dating from between 1900 and 1919, situated in a prominent roadside location in Gilford, County Down. The pump is a closed-head lever type with a straight column decorated with a spiral pattern. The cap is fluted and topped with an acorn finial. Inscription around the top of the pump reads ‘Hugh Dale Plumber Banbridge’. The adjacent well cover bears the inscription ‘Banbridge Foundry’. The pump is set into a roadside alcove and remains in regular use. The alcove is constructed from blackstone random rubble, with rock-faced, margin-dressed granite copings. It was not shown on the 1904 Ordnance Survey map, but appears on the 1917 edition. Further details are documented in the Environment Heritage Service report ‘Water Pumps in Northern Ireland: A Preliminary Survey’ by Fred Hamond (January 1997). The pump and its surrounding walling are included in this listing. It is of industrial archaeological interest and holds local historical and social importance, reflecting a time when street-side access to drinking water was the norm. Ownership is by the local government.