Pump, Beside 77 Main Street, Tobermore, Co Derry

This is a rotary water pump dating from between 1880 and 1899. It is situated in a prominent roadside location beside 77 Main Street, Tobermore. The pump is a good example of its type and is relatively rare, serving as a reminder of a time when drinking water was only available in public spaces. The column has a splayed shape and fluted decorations, with a cap featuring similar fluting and a pointed finial. A spout lug is present, but there is no pedestal. The pump was marked on the 1905 Ordnance Survey map held at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI OS 10/5/36/14/1) and is discussed in more detail in Fred Hamond’s 1997 report, ‘Water Pumps in Northern Ireland: A Preliminary Survey’, Pump No 2. The pump is of industrial archaeological interest and holds social, cultural, economic, and local significance. It is owned by the local government.