Coultershaw Wharf and Beam Pump

Before the supply of piped water to the town, the residents of Petworth obtained water from springs to the east of the town, such as the Virgin Mary Spring, from which water can still be drawn. The first piped water supply to Petworth was established in the early 16th century by Rev. John Edmunds, the local Rector, who installed a 3 in diameter lead pipe from springs, at the junction of the lower greensand and Atherfield clay, in Boxgrove Paddock, about 1 mi west of the town, to supply the Manor House (now Petworth House) and conduits in the town. The main pipe led to a stone reservoir on the north side of the churchyard with branches to points in the lower levels of the town. By 1575, the…