Airton owes its prosperity to the Quaker family which built the mill here. The village grew up around it. The main water supply would be the river Aire in the bottom of the village, with people collecting rain water in barrels at their homes. Water for drinking was not as necessary as today, people drank very weak beer instead. Households that could afford to, had a pump in the wash house, where a child's nightly chore would be to collect the next day's clean water. The water was stored in earthen ware pots.
Those without their own pump had to use the communal pump.
This cast iron pump has had the handle removed. Park at the pump.
Another photograph of this pump.
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