Pumps, Pipes and Privies

The introduction of clean drinking water and a sewerage system to Dorchester in the 1850s.

With its polluted wells, cesspools and stinking privies, Dorchester was an unhealthy place at the start of the 19th century. Yet, even when faced with the threat of cholera, not everybody welcomed the prospect of piped drinking water or flush toilets. In this talk, Philip Browne will describe the battle to improve the public health of the town – a campaign that lasted nearly a decade.

Philip Browne worked in education for nearly forty years. After retiring in 2010, he wrote ‘The Unfortunate Captain Peirce and the Wreck of the Halsewell’ (2015) Hobnob Press. He now researches the history of Fordington between 1854 and 1914. He has twice won the Mansel-Pleydell local history prize: in 2022 with ‘Sticks and Stones: The Corn Laws and the killing of William Allen, 1850’ and in 2024 with ‘Penny Wise and Pound Foolish: the introduction of a municipal water-supply and sewerage-system to Dorchester, 1848-1859.’

Tickets include a glass of wine and nibbles.

This event is being held in support of Dorset Archives Trust, a charity that works to preserve and promote Dorset's rich archival heritage. Its strapline is 'Saving Dorset's disappearing history' and it undertakes this work by fundraising, holding events, supporting projects and promoting the value of archives. DAT works closely with the Dorset History Centre in Dorchester which holds archive collections dating back over 1000 years from across Bournemouth, Poole and wider Dorset.