We have all heard of the names Storey, Williamson, Sharpe, Austin, Paley & Gregson; the men who built, funded and ran 19th century Lancaster but the name Bartholemew Dodding is missing- an unsung hero who brought water to Lancaster.
Like all rapidly growing towns in the early to mid 1800s, Lancaster was struggling with overcrowding, water pollution and infectious disease spread; the ineffective sewerage and fouled drinking water from the town’s wells resulted in high death rates. It would take many great minds, money and bureaucracy to overcome the challenges of piping fresh, clean water into the town. Engineers had vaguely hinted at bringing water from the fells above Lancaster but Edmund Sharpe thought it impossible and believed the River Lune was the only obvious source. Bartholomew (or Bartle as he was better known) Dodding was employed as labour master at the workhouse, overseeing the work of the vagrants. Prior to that he had strolled the fells of Over Wyresdale daily, employed as a gamekeeper. He was a quietly persistent voice who had for many years been telling anyone who would listen that Grizedale Beck would provide enough water for the town, after all, it never ran dry, even in the hottest summer. As a ‘lowly working man’ he was dismissed and ignored.
Eventually in 1851, his persistence finally paid off and a scouting party consisting of Bartle, the Mayor and the local Board of Health agreed to go up into the Wyresdale fells with him. They quickly realised he was absolutely correct with Sharpe saying “This is the place!” and within a year the first of many schemes to pipe clean water to Lancaster had begun.
Within three years 300,000 gallons of water a day was coming from Grizedale to basins at High Cross Moor then to Appletree then to the Dog & Partridge at Quernmore then to the reservoir (now covered) behind the Workhouse. In town the pipes were laid in Great John Street and shortly after, all was connected. Bartholomew was employed throughout the scheme for his local knowledge of the fells and becks.The growing population required an ever increasing supply and two further schemes to increase supply took place. The death rate dropped from 2.6% to 1.95% thanks to the improvement in water quality.
At the 1881 opening ceremony of the Damas Gill extension scheme, the Mayor stated, “Three things are essentially necessary for the good health of a town, namely pure and wholesome water, extensive drainage and good sewering and I believe Lancaster possesses those three attributes”. The ageing Bartholemew, now employed as the water bailiff by the Corporation was present (and still telling anyone who would listen) that it was he who discovered the source.
Lancastrian Research 