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Bishop's Waltham Water Undertaking
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The piped water supply to Bishop's Waltham has had a varied history. It began in 1894 with the formation of the "Bishop's Waltham Waterworks Company
Ltd.", the principal promoter of which was Charles Liddell Simpson, civil engineer, of London. The works consisted of a shallow well in the Chalk and pumping station situated in a dis-used chalk-pit at
Northbrook, about halfa-mile north of the Town, together with a service reservoir at Vernon Hill, a little further away, and holding about 183,000 gallons.
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In 1914 the Undertaking was acquired by the then South Hants Waterworks Company, but this in turn was purchased in 1921 by the Southampton Corporation. By
the Gosport Act of 1940, the Bishop's Waltham supply was in 1941 transferred to the Company, the purchase price being £11,170. As the original pumping plant had become obsolete, a connection was made in 1942, by
which the greater part of Bishop's Waltham was supplied from the Shedfield Reservoirs, and an existing small borehole at the Northbrook Works was brought into use, from which water was pumped by means of
electrically driven plant to the Vernon Hill Reservoir for the supply to the higher parts of the locality.
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.Later developments at Northbrook are described below.
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Rural Supplies
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Up to 1904 the Company's Area of Supply was confined to the then Gosport and Alverstoke Urban District, about six square miles.
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The first extension took place under its Act of 1904, by which were added the adjoining Parish of Crofton (since 1932, Crofton Ward in the Fareham Urban
District), together with a separate Area to the north of Fareham, comprising the Parishes of Wickham, Shedfield and Swanmore, all in the Droxford Rural District, thus increasing the Area to 28 square miles. These
Parishes were subsequently supplied from the first Shedfield Reservoir.
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A second extension was authorized by its Act of 1940, which added the Parishes of Boarhunt, Bishop's Waltham and part of the
Parish of Durley, all in the Droxford Rural District; this increased the Area to 38t square miles. With the exception of the higher parts of Bishop's Waltham (supplied from Vernon Hill Reservoir) they were also
supplied from the two Shedfield Reservoirs.
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A third extension was made under its Order of 1951, which added most of the remaining Meon Valley Parishes, namely, Corhampton, Droxford, Exton, Soberton, Warnford and West Meon,
together with the Parish of Upham to the north of Bishop's Waltham, all in the Droxford Rural District. Thus the Area of Supply became 77 square miles. At that time the only existing piped
supply in these Parishes was at West Meon, where in 1939 the Droxford Rural District Council had introduced a supply to the village from a small borehole in the Chalk at Vinnell's Lane with an
electricallyoperated pumping station and reservoir. Under the Order this was transferred to the Company.
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Well I'm Blowed, would you believe it! - a dictionary of Sayings from Pompey and Turktown
