Swaffham Prior Fountain (MoC51/57)

Swaffham Prior Drinking Fountain

History of the Swaffham Prior Drinking Fountain

In 1874 C. P. Allix built at the south-west end of the street a drinking fountain, covered with a pointed roof on brick arches. Its erection allowed the villagers to share the benefit of the reservoir made up the hill to serve his mansion. It was demolished by his son in 1957.  A bulky concrete water tower had been built in 1939 on Greenhead Hill next to the council estate, and the whole village had mains water by the 1950s and street lighting from 1955, while by 1973 a sewage plant sufficient for 1,000 people was established off Station Road.