Tasty
Served by one of London’s many underground streams, the water was praised for being “bright, sparkling, and cool, and of an agreeable taste”. These qualities were later found to be derived from decaying organic matter from adjoining graveyards, and the leaching of calcium from the bones of the dead in many new cemeteries in north London through which the stream ran from Hampstead.
I’m surprised it was still judged to have “agreeable taste”. I suppose the bar was significantly lower, back when.
On its relocation in 1876, the New River Company changed the supplies to mains water.
It doesn’t pump at all nowadays
Now that’s what I call a spout. It feels like someone put their heart and pride in making that.
Also, interesting tidbit:
The metal wolf head on the pump’s spout is supposed to signify the last wolf shot in the City of London.