Re: BECKFOOT layout - arrangements for eating


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Posted by Ed Kiser on April 15, 2003 at 03:05:22 from 152.163.188.167 user Kisered.

In Reply to: Re: BECKFOOT layout - arrangements for eating posted by John Nichols on April 15, 2003 at -1:11:57:

The presence of a pump in the yard of Tyson's is not necessarily the only source of water to the Tyson household, but merely one that the campers in the orchard can get easy access to. It is by the barn, where such a pump would be handy in getting water to fill a container from which the animals could drink. It would seem more convenient to have a pump in the kitchen. There is no mention of such at Tyson's, and there is no need for such, as these campers need outside access to a source of water, which the barn's pump is quite handy. But we are not trying to define the house at Tysons; it is Beckfoot that is being considered.

John mentions that in PP they go for a bathe by swimming in the river first thing in the morning, even though that flow is greatly reduced due to lack of rain. In PM, they also go for a similar dip in the river, and we are talking here of house guests, not campers in the garden, but guests that have spent the night in beds inside the house, yet when time to have that morning bath, they went to the river as the more desirable option to them.

Yes, Beckfoot does have a bathroom. It is only briefly mentioned in the scurring around trying to get the house ready for the arrival of the GA. Nancy reminds someone to be sure to carry water up to the bathroom, as it is likely that the GA will prefer to perform her bath in that facility rather than a dip in the lake.

The pertinant documented text here is that the water had to be taken to the bathroom. It was not available in that location by some pipe.

For water to be potable, it would not do to dip it from the river. It would be taken from the ground, from some sort of well, from which it would be somehow pumped. For some sort of gravity feed system to operate, in lieu of a powered pump, a rather long pipe line would be needed to run quite a ways upriver to get to a point high enough to provide the pressure of height to properly operate the plumbing system. Such a system would be using river water, of questionable quality.

There is no mention of any pump, operated either by hand or by some other power, at Beckfoot. There may be one near the stable to provide water for the animals there, but again, no such mention is made. Obviously, a source of water must be present, even though it is not defined. As for possibilities, there may have been a hand operated pump in the kitchen, the location most likely to need access to drinkable water.

As for the presence of electricity, the bell system, and the pigeon bell ringing circuit are powered by batteries, which are hardly of sufficient capacity to power any water pumping system. If there is electricity in Beckfoot, then why do they carry candles and lanterns about when night falls?

I fail to see what substantiation can be put forth from text or art work to support the presence of plumbing (and therefore a WC) at Beckfoot. It would have been nice, but that does not make it happen.

That other houses in that period had such a facility is all very well, but is hardly proof of the existance of such at Beckfoot.

I keep going back to the necessity of hand carrying up water to that bathroom in preparation for the GA as the documented evidence that there was NOT plumbing in the house, as opposed to the total lack of any evidence that would tend to support the proposal of its presence.

On this point, I'm afraid that I must agree with John to disagree with him as to the presence of plumbing at Beckfoot.

But you are right, John, about the fact that all this digging and research into Beckfoot, and the many discussions we have shared off line from this forum, have indeed been fun, and most enlightening. Beckfoot will never be the same, in my mind's eye, after this...

Ed Kiser, South Florida


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