Bury Hill
Water Supply
A a pumping station, bore hole and water tower were built in 1902 for the Woodbridge Water Company.
Before mains water was available the inhabitants of Melton would have obtained their fresh water from wells sunk into the crag layer. The larger houses would have their own wells but the cottagers would have used a communal well which was often some distance away. Rain water, collected in a water butt, was prized for its softness and would be saved for cosmetic functions, ie shaving, hair washing and the delicate skin of babies. By the start of the 19th century water was still being drawn up from wells in buckets although by then the richer houses had a hand pump.
Plans for a pumping station, bore-hole and water tower for the Woodbridge Water Company were drawn up in 1902. It was built adjacent to the present water tower on Bredfield road. The bore-hole obtained its water from the chalk layer some 140 ft down. (The numerous wells in Woodbridge would not have been so deep. They would have been sunk into the crag layer.) Water from the bore-hole was pumped up from by steam engine housed in the one story brick built building that is behind what was then managers house adjacent to the entrance on Bredfield road. This house (20 Bredfield Road) is now a private residence but the engine house remains, albeit without its chimney. The progress is recorded in Lambert’s Almanacs for 1902, 1903 and 1908.
1902
The question of a better water supply is now within each of being accomplished, and will be a great boon. The Woodbridge District Waterworks Company has been incorporated by special Act of Parliament, and at the first statutory meeting, held on 30th September, it was stated that out of the issue of £12,500 capital, all had been subscribed except £500. The registered list comprised 147 shareholders, the great majority of whom are residents of the town. Land has been purchased in Brook Street and Mill Hills, and the work of sinking a well on the Brook Street site has been already started. It is expected that by January 1903 the town will be in receipt of water from the waterworks.
1903
The Waterworks Company have completed their various works, and by the time our readers will be perusing these pages they doubtless will be supplying their customers with water. The pumping station has been built on land on the Bredfield Road after the failure to secure a supply on their property in Brook Street. The test of the water was, from all points of view favourable, Dr. Stevenson recommending for a public supply. The subscribers up to the present number about 100.
By 1950 the output of the Bredfield Road water works had been increased by sinking two 140 ft bore holes into the chalk and three wells into the crag. Each well was equipped with a separate pump. To size of site was expanded, a 100,000 gallon water tower had been erected and there was a new pump building. The old buildings were retained for storage. Water delivered to customers was about equal parts of crag and chalk water. There were ‘Candy’ pressure filters to remove iron but there was no attempt to soften the water that was classified as “very hard”. (Softening of the water was contemplated at various times but was not put into operation because of the cost of installing and maintaining the necessary plant.)
By 1967 Woodbridge and Melton’s water was responsibility of the Ipswich Corporation Water undertaking, but the distribution point was a new water tower and treatment works on Bredfield Road. Water from fro this site was fed into a pipe line (“grid”) that ran between Woodbridge, Ipswich, Raydon, Stowmarket and Pettistree and back to Woodbridge. The other stations supplying this grid were in Ipswich, Raydon, Stowmarket and Pettistree.
In 1991/92 a small reservoir was built on the site.
In 1995 the bore holes and wells at Bredfield Road were closed down because of concerns about the high levels of nitrates in the water, but the site remains as the distribution point and treatment works for Woodbridge and Melton.
In 2020 much of the water works was s
Last edit 23/03/21