Pottergate Pant

Location

Bottom of Pottergate, at the junction with Narrowgate

Description

In the form of a pillar, erected in 1873, with a trough on the east side, constructed of pink granite, with some sandstone detailing and a sandstone base. Only the main faces of the granite are polished. The carving on east side (over trough) is more finely detailed than other faces. Thee are inscriptions commemorating William Dickson, a successful solicitor, local historian, and founder of the Alnwick and County Bank (now part of Barclays). The English Heritage description reads: 1875, replacing that of 1790. Four sided, 3 stages, polished granite. Consists of a plinth, a blind arch on each face and a pyramidal cap topped by a lamp standard. The trough faces Narrowgate, Two bronze medallions below the cap - to left St Michael and Dragon, to right monogram "W.D." In centre, to Narrowgate, a quatrefoil with the inscription: "Erected 1873 at the cost of Will. Dickson Esq of Alnwick in place of the old pant". Bronze lion head spout.

The Public Monuments and Sculpture Association records William Dickson: (1799-1875) was born in Berwick and trained as a solicitor. For forty years from 1831 he filled various public offices in the county, particularly in the Berwick and Alnwick areas, and was the founder of the Alnwick and County Bank. He was also a notable local historian with a number of publications to his name, including "Four Chapters from the History of Alnmouth" and the less snappily titled "The wards, divisions, parishes, and townships of Northumberland, according to the ancient and modern divisions : shewing the annual value and population of each parish and township, maintaining its own poor, from the returns of 1831 : also the places for which surveyors of highways and constables are appointed respectively, and by whom appointed : compiled from the records and other authentic sources".

This is believed to be the site of the earliest pant in Alnwick, which existed in 1611, but the previous structure is not that old - it dated from 1790. It was also referred to as the "Low Pant" to distinguish it from St Michael's, or the "High Pant". (not to be confused with the Clayport Low Pant).

The 1790 pant is shown in the picture below. The local paper reported that "It is chiefly notorious as the scene of disgraceful brawling and drunkenness in our times, and as the centre of abominable nuisances which will be most easily obviated by its removal and the erection in its stead of a smaller pant, which at the same time will be more ornamental and in better taste".

The Alnwick Mercury in 1871 stated that

"The hours of the existing Pant a the foot of Pottergate are numbered, as our readers know, and a new erection more symmetrical and more pleasing to the eye, and offering fewer facilities for the committing of nuisances will erelong take its place. This will of course be a great improvement though, equally of course, there are a select few to whom the change is distasteful, simply because it is change. For in the eyes of such persons antiquity is the only beauty, and the attractions of a thing are measured solely by the number of years it has existed.

The Low Pant is undoubtedly one of the oldest in the town...

...The Old Town Well, also called the Stone Well is the oldest of all the sources from which our ancestors were supplied with water. Next in antiquity is probably the doomed Pant of Pottergate, which is supplied from the surplus water of the Stone Well an which appears ot be the pant mentioned in the book of the corporation in 1623, and also twelve years earlier viz in 1611. There is an unmistakeable allusion to it in the Court Leet records under the year 1683:- " the pant to be paved and amended by the inhabitants of Pottergate, Narrowgate and Bailiffgate...

...It will be seen that Pottergate Pant cannot be said to have existed before the seventeenth century. Moreover, if it could be shown to be much older, still that would not be admissible as a reason for preserving it in its present state; for it has no romantic or historical associations attached to it. It is chiefly notorious as the scene of disgraceful brawling and drunkenness in our times, and as the centre of abominable nuisances which will be most easily obviated by its removal and the erection in its stead of a smaller pant, which at the same time will be more ornamental and in better taste.

In September 1873, the surveyor to the board of health reported that

"The old pant was supplied from a fountain reservoir at the Stone Well. The water was conveyed in pipes from that fountain down the Tunnel Garden nearly in a straight line to the Pant. Some years ago the pipe failed and a portion - about half the length - was taken up and relaid with one inch galvanised iron pipe. The remainder of the train of pipes is laying under buildings, the owners of which objected to having the pipes lifted. There appears to be some obstruction in the pipes which prevents the water from coming forward, as there are about three gallons a minute running to waste at the fountain. If the train were taken up at the end of the 1-inch pipe and carried down the Bow Burn in a 1 1/4 inch pipe galvanised, the supply would be from three t ofour gallons a minute. The cost would be about £15. The distance is 88 yards. Mr Young does not object. The overflow from the Tiger Fountain in Mr Dickson's stalbe yard ( 3 1/2 gallons a minute) could be carried along the New Row, 200 yards. Cost £30. The Castle old fountain in the High Brewery has very little water in it, and the quality is not good. The Howling Well, as seen in a trough in Mr Archbold's field, may run a gallon a minute. There are a number of wells about the High Brewery, Steam Mills and the Old Malting; but as they cannot be seen, and the information obtained is not reliable, it is very difficult to form an opinion on the subject, except that they seem to be collected in the Stone Well fountain reservoir.

At some point after the present pant was built, a cast-iron, open topped public urinal was constructed behind it. We understand that this was removed because people could see into it from the upstairs windows of nearby houses.