A Hidden Wimbledon Horse Trough

There's a group of people who follow Non-League Football known as 'ground-hoppers' whose greatest joy is to visit as many different football grounds as possible. Not unlike obsessive bird-watchers determined to 'tick off' another species from the list, their enjoyment seems to come mainly from the satisfaction of acquiring another ground and another programme (apparently it doesn't count unless you get a programme to prove you were there and beware the wrath of a hopper who doesn't get at least a team sheet at the end of the day!).

Well I don't know if there's a similar group of individuals out there hunting down horse troughs but it's interesting to me that some of the most visited and searched for items on this blog are those horse-trough related. If someone hasn't already started a definitive list of surviving Metropolitan Association Horse & Cattle Trough's I'm sure it's only a matter of time...

So, always happy to help out, I thought any budding 'trough-ticker' might be interested to hear of this example that has somehow strayed from its original site.
As you can see the move doesn't seem to have done it much harm and it looks happily settled in its new surroundings. The original metal cover is still over the end, it has a couple of shiny red fire buckets hanging off it and the whole thing is actually looking pretty tidy. Best of all this particular trough has ended up in a stable-yard and is constantly surrounded by horses. Sort of an ideal retirement home for it really...
I came across it in the stable yard of the Wimbledon Common Rangers. The current Rangers didn't know of its original position but I'm sure it must have been somewhere on the common itself, otherwise I doubt they'd have been allowed to move it.

The inscription on the end says that it's the gift of 'Three Friends'. I'm sure I've seen this inscription before so I wouldn't be surprised if the three friend's donations are responsible for a number of troughs. It would be interesting to see if they are clustered in one area or spread out evenly throughout London though. Maybe a horse trough expert could fill me in?

Kennington tube to the Imperial War Museum

Just a short stroll but there were a couple of nice items on the way there and back. The first of which was this ghost sign above what seems to be a standard terraced town house
Kennington Lane SE1 - 'The Albion Coffee House' The Albion Coffee House was apparently one of the haunts of Charlie Chaplin's father so I expect there is a good chance that Charlie himself spent some time in there himself. At Kennington Cross there's a whole gaggle of interesting items. Originally an island at a road junction the Cross consists of a horse trough, a Victorian underground Gents toilet, a venting pipe with a crown mount and some interesting bollards. The bollard below is one of the four remaining original examples - the rest are aluminium casts taken from a cast - and it seems to have retained its crisp lines. In fact I thought this example was one of the new ones until I spotted a bit of rust where some paint had been removed. The hourse trough was a standard example from the 'Metropolitan Horse & Cattle Trough Association' with an inscription on the end that read 'The gift of two sisters from Leytonstone'. I'm sure I've read something similar elsewhere so I'm now thinking that the sisters might have left enough money for more than one trough and probably weren't too worried where they were sited I was spotted taking the photo below and had an interesting chat about the area with a lady called Celia. She's part of a group campaigning to preserve Kennington Cross and to turn the toilets (now a Grade 2 Listed Historical Monument) into a Community Arts space called ArtsLav. Celia also featured on Disappearing London where she explained her interest to the singer Suggs. (Disappearing London - The Victorian Public Loo). I hope she succeeds because it was a real jolt seeing them and realising how long it's been since I've seen one of these 'old style' Gents toilets and there's an always present danger of further decay.
Durning Library, Kennington Lane
Durning Library has an exotic Victorian front and this impressive dragon lurking above the front door (don't be late returning your books)...
..and on the roof a very nice little weather vane
Kennington Lane - 'Ariel Writers'
Facing the Library was this really attractive ghost sign . I'm not quite sure what it's advertising, probably the name of the company that were based there, but it's very eye catching all the same.

More Horse and Cattle Troughs

Following the dictum that you can't have too much of a good thing here are a few more Horse and Cattle Troughs that I've come across on my travels. All of them are granite troughs provided by the Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association

Norstead Place, Roehampton
Just by the busy A3 and opposite the cemetery (where no doubt horses pulling hearses were grateful for a rest during the service) this particular trough is even visible from satellite! All the metal fittings have been removed except for what I take to be a link to attach the cup on a chain to. I'm not sure what the rest of the fixing points were for though and there's no evidence of dedications on this one.Could it have been the fixing points for a sign or plaque? The changing road layout has left it slightly beached though.Very convenient for the graveyard opposite though and it's all uphill back to Roehampton!


Clifton Road, Kingston KT2
Tucked just off the main road this solid looking trough still has the metal grill at one end and is just for the horses. No water for humans or dogs on this one.
The dedication on the road side reads 'Gift of Miss G. L. Paterson'
Cottenham Park Road, Raynes Park
This is an intriguing trough that must have been pretty much in the country when it was set up. Now it's tucked down an insignificant side road and dead end but at least it has a nice flush of greenery to set it off. There's a metal basket at one end and I'd be interested to know what the point of it was

The 'Push' button is still in place though. I assume this would have topped the trough up if it was getting a bit low. There was also a dedication at the other end but sadly it is now unreadable and although I think the date was 1895 even that isn't too clear.

Horse and Cattle Troughs and Drinking Fountains

Every now and then I have come across old granite horse troughs that have long outlived their original purpose but which usually have an interesting inscription behind them. Most of them are now glorified flower-beds but originally they served the philanthropic purpose of providing clean drinking water both for the local residents and for the assorted animals of London. The story of the Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association is an interesting one and I was surprised to read that they are still in existence - albeit in a much reduced form. I expect I'll be adding to this one over the years but here are a few that I've come across recently

Trinity Road SW18
Very close to Wandsworth Prison, this Drinking Trough is full of earth, but no plants, and has been incorporated into the wall outside a pub

Wimbledon Common, Parkside Avenue SW9
This is the only example I've come across so far that is still being used for it's original purpose in that it is still full of water (and leaves!). I would guess this is because the common still has a couple of riding schools that use it as well as the mounted Park Rangers. The splendid drinking fountain behind it though has long since fallen into disuse
I would guess that there would have been cups for the drinkers and the steps are for the younger and smaller Wimbledonians to use and maybe even the odd Womble or two. Dogs had their own drinking space underneath. Each of the sides has a typical Biblical quote with a Temperance message but the dedication inscription on the front edge says it was provided by Robt. Hanbury Esq. MP.
Mitcham Cricket Green, CR4
This trough is situated on a very busy crossroads opposite the Burn Bullock pub so it was impossible to get a photograph of the inscription on the far side which, if I remember correctly, commemorated Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee.


Roehampton High Street
I think this fountain might pre-date the Metropolitan Cattle Trough Association. It's certainly a different style with some very svelte low-slung horse troughs each side of this imposing drinks fountain - so low-slung that they are not immediately obvious in the picture below and I bet more than one little kid went paddling on a hot summers day in the horse water! There were no inscriptions (other than for the local Putney manufacturer, so no obvious temperance links for this oneThis is the only side with the original fountain-head still intact. On the whole it's in very good condition - something I put down to being a traffic island in a busy road!

Wimbledon Common - The Windmill
The second trough on Wimbledon Common but this one is still fully-functional. Horses use it, Dogs drink underneath and humans have their own fountain next to it (the cup on a chain has long-since departed). The date of installation seems to be 1887.
This is the artistic shot - a sad attempt to include the windmill with the sun in my eyes!St Lawrence Church, London Road SM4
Three for one at this trough - horses on top, dogs beneath and humans at the end. Like the one above this was placed near a tavern in order to provide a temperance option for thirsty travelers. This one was erected in memory of all the horses that suffered in the South African (Boer) War

Clapham Common - Near 'Old Town'
Well this one is quite some piece of sculpture - very dramatic in a Victorian biblical fashion. Not working of course but in a very prominent position nontheless
This is a close-up of the dedication plaque with a typical temperance link from the donors. I'm sure I recall a horse trough on Clapham Common somewhere so I hope to find that soon.And finally... nothing to do with the Metropolitan Drinking Fountain Association, but fun anyway this one of two troughs to be found bordering
Merton High Street SW19
Commissioned by the High Path Tenants Association to celebrate the millennium, these are not Horse Troughs masquerading as flower containers, but rather flower containers masquerading as Horse Troughs! Concrete rather than granite but they deserve a place nonetheless.