Revealing the Water Catch for the first time

Stanmer’s unique Victorian rainwater harvesting system.

We did the clearance over Winter 1978/79. The core team included Ann, Jonathon and Simon Markwick, Johnny Gapper and Marilyn and Peter Luckin. Overseen/supervised by Charlie Yeates! Tea and hot chocolate brewed over camp fire as it was very cold and occasionally snowy. We didn’t have the equipment to be able to trace the actual course of the pipeline down to the village but Charlie Yeates told me that he and Walter Gorton (Chairman SPS) used a boat when they descended into the the brick arched cistern which looked in good condition.