Tooting Parish Pump

The Grade II listed Parish Pump in Tooting is an adapted parish pump, now serving as a monument to early public infrastructure and community organisation. During the 18th century, before the arrival of mains piped water, London relied on wells and public pumps. Streatham’s natural springs, known as Streatham Wells, were filtered naturally through chalk beds and became celebrated for their health-giving properties. Wealthy City of London residents moved to the area, encouraged by improved turnpike roads. Access to the springs however became concentrated in private hands, with over one hundred private springs and artesian wells in Tooting. One privately owned well was described as producing water with enough force to ‘rise like a fountain to the height of a couple of storeys’.

In 1822, a new private well, sunk to 260 feet, exacerbated the problem and suddenly 500 households were without water. In 1823, the villagers joined together to commission the Parish Pump. The new pump produced water at the rate of 130 gallons per minute. It was in use up to the end of the 19th century and became a focal point for daily life - a meeting point where residents gathered and exchanged news. The monument is made of iron, with an inscription that it was ‘erected by the principal inhabitants of this parish.’

The Pump ironwork is rusting and its paint damaged. The monument will be cleaned to remove areas of corrosion, affected areas treated with tannic acid, and cracks will be filled with resin as appropriate. There will be paint research to determine the original colour as far as possible, and it will painted with primer, undercoat and top coats, with decorative areas gilded.

The wider public realm scheme includes new planting beds, seating, inlay paving and festoon lighting between existing columns and uplighting.