Local History - Holloway, Crich, South Wingfield &Pentrich Water Supply.
Local Water Supplies - text based on research by Jim Eggleston in 2001
Before 1900, Most local domestic water supplies were from numerous local spring and well water sources. This involved filling containers to carry the water into the house. These sources were often subject to drought in summer and occasional pollution events from animals etc.
The Politics
Prior to 1894 responsibility for water supplies was in the hands of Belper Rural District Council within whose boundaries lay the Parish of Crich. In 1896, a letter from the Clerk of Belper Rural district council stated:
”That for the period of one year all existing public cisterns, pumps, wells, reservoirs, conduits aqueducts and works used for the gratuitous supply of water to the inhabitants of the township of Crich be vested in and under the control of the Parish Council lawfully appointed for that township.”
In August 1897, a deputation of ratepayers from the top end of town waited upon the Council respecting their water supply and it was propose by Mr.H.Dyson and seconded by Mr.Leafe
“That in connection with the Bull Bridge water supply, we beg to point out to the Belper Rural District Council, that there are about 100 houses at the upper end of Crich, the majority of which are in a much worse condition in the matter of water supply than the houses at Bull Bridge and we consider that some steps ought to be taken to provide a more adequate supply of water to the houses referred to, for which a loan should be incurred so that payment may be spread over a number of years and the expenditure for the Bull Bridge supply should be included in the loan”
The proposition was carried unanimously.
This suggests that at this time, Crich PC was relying on Belper RDC to upgrade the water supply to a piped supply system. This is confirmed by a statement by the Chairman of the PC in May 1998 that the continued development of a water supply scheme by Belper RDC would serve the Parishes of Dethick, Lee and Holloway, Crich and Wingfield.
June 1899 The Belper Scheme – “at last”
Belper RDC at last devised a scheme to provide water for Crich, Holloway, South Wingfield and Pentrich. These proposals were contained in a circular which was read to the Parish Council by the Chairman Mr. Sam Bower at the June meeting of the Council. Mr. Bower had prepared detailed costs of the scheme on the basis of rateable value and population. There follows a photocopy of the page of the minutes containing Mr.Bower's calculations.
Apportionment of costs of the proposed water scheme.
£24,890 total costs with Crich paying 44 to 54%.depending upon basis used.
Mr Bower's analysis from 1899.
Useful data on populations and rateable values -
Holloway - £3.40/hd
Crich £2.50/hd
Wingfield £3.51/hd
Pentrich £5.00/hd
Average - £3.02/hd
The Politics - again
It appears that Crich PC was not happy with the RDC’s proposals and at a meeting in October 1899 it recommended that the PC should prepare an alternative Scheme:-
The Crich Parish Council meeting held at Ambergate on 10th. October was specially convened to meet Mr.H.Taylor Engineer to discuss the proposed water scheme of the RDC. It was unanimously resolved on the proposition of Mr. Dyson and seconded by Mr.R.Dawes:-
“that we engage Mr. W.H.Taylor to gauge the water supply of the Parish, to prepare estimates of evidence and do any other necessary work to oppose the Water Scheme of the District Council, at a cost of three guineas per day and 3rd. class rail fare to hold the expenses to total fee and expenses not to exceed Twenty Five pounds, unless exceptional circumstances arise which will be dealt with on their merits.”
{Crich PC was were to be in trouble for this initiative: - in August of 1900 the PC were censured by the Local Government Board for exceeding their power by spending money for this purpose..}
November 1899
Crich Parish Council clearly wished to propose a scheme alternative to that proposed by the RDC and to put this forward to the Local Government Enquiry which was to be set up to investigate the Belper RDC scheme. The somewhat clandestine nature of the proceedings might be indicated by the fact that the PC met at Mr. Else's house on November 15th.1899. The business was to meet Mr.H.Taylor, Engineer to discuss the water scheme for Crich, to be submitted to the inspector at the forthcoming Local Government enquiry.
The Crich PC’s Scheme:-
It was stated by Mr. Taylor that the spring under Benthill yielded 25 gallons per minute. He also suggested that a borehole should be made down to the level of the grit-stone at that place in case the above spring failed in dry seasons. The scheme generally provided for a large supply cistern to duplicate engines to pump the water up to a position at the Cliff where four mains would be laid down as far as Bull Bridge. The total cost to be in round figures, about £4,300.
This figure is about £1,000 cheaper than Crich's estimated contribution to the proposed RDC scheme but the Belper RDC scheme received the blessing of the Inspector. Note Fritchley and Bull Bridge seem to have been excluded from the Belper RDC scheme.
However, these Local Plans were then overtaken by Derwent Valley Water Board’s developments in the Derwent Valley Water Act 1899.
Due to concerns about meeting demand for water in the growing cities of the East Midlands and disputes between these cities over access to the waters of the upper River Derwent, the Derwent Valley Water Board was formed under the Derwent Valley Water Act 1899.
This was to enable the construction of reservoirs in the Upper Derwent Valley in the Derbyshire Peak District. These would be used to supply Nottingham, Derby, Leicester, Sheffield and parts of Derbyshire. Construction costs were apportioned in relation to the proportion of water that each corporation or authority had been allocated under the 1899 Act and membership of the Board reflected this arrangement.
Howden Reservoir was officially opened in 1912 and Derwent Reservoir was brought into use in 1916. Water from the reservoirs passed through filters constructed at nearby Bamford and was transported via aqueducts and pipelines, which divided at Ambergate, Derbyshire, into the Nottingham and the Derby (and Leicester) supplies.
(The Board was dissolved under the Water Act, 1973 and responsibility passed to the newly created Severn Trent Water Authority and then Severn Trent Plc.)
The Derwent Valley Aqueduct now supplies our water.
The Derwent Aqueduct is a spectacular piece of Victorian/Edwardian engineering.
The treated water from Bamford Water treatment Works flows by gravity to supply the large towns of Derby and Nottingham, but also the smaller villages of Holloway and Crich along its route.
The Aqueduct consists of over 100 miles of large diameter cast iron and steel pipes These ae typically 45 inch diameter pipes laid in duplicate.
Ten miles of the Aqueduct are in 6 sections of 6' 3" wide tunnel.
The hydraulic profile
I believe this pumping station below Lea Road pumps water from the Aqueduct to the Lea Moor Service Reservoir at Shuckstone This reservoir supplies water to Crich, Holloway and other local villages.
Please let me know if you have better information. I am checking these facts with Severn Trent Water.
These cast iron gates and air valve covers follow the route of the Aqueduct.
The gates were installed as part of the construction project to allow for regular inspections of the integrity of this vital water supply system.
The air valves are vital to enable the gravity flow to be restored after the pipe have been emptied for cleaning etc.
