Description

839-1/0/10036 MARINE PARADE
06-SEP-10 Opposite Britannia Terrace
(East side)
RSPCA Drinking Trough

II
Horse trough with drinking fountain presented by the RSPCA in 1912, and made of granite ashlar.

The horse trough is rectangular and rests upon two squared granite blocks. The bottom edge of the trough in between the blocks is chamfered. It rises on the north side with ogee curves to form a head which houses the water pipes. On the outer side of the head is a small semi-circular basin which is the drinking fountain. The cistern remains but the spigot is missing. On the east side is engraved 'PRESENTED BY THE N & N BRANCH OF THE R.S.P.C.A. 1912'.

HISTORY
The medieval settlement of Great Yarmouth lay on the east side of the River Yare, where at the time of the Domesday Book, a chapel, seventy burgesses and twenty-four fishermen were located. The wealth of Great Yarmouth was based on the herring fishery and the town equalled Kings Lynn and Norwich in wealth and importance in medieval England. Outside of the walls, the area to the east of the historic town known as the Denes was used for livestock grazing, public hangings and drying fishing nets. The original jetty of 1560 was one of the few structures here until the fashion for spa resorts in the mid C18 resulted in the construction of a public seawater Bath House of 1759 followed by a theatre in 1778. Fearing for the economic security of the medieval town, building was restricted on the Denes by a resolution of 1810 which prevented the construction of shops and public houses there, a policy reversed after the Municipal Corporations Act of 1835. The resort which developed thereafter was intended to encourage superior visitors to the town, arriving mostly on steam packet from London, but also by train from 1844. The first resort building, The Royal Hotel, was constructed in 1840 (Grade II). The Victoria Building Company, established in 1841, intended to develop the South Beach area but only the Brandon and Kimberly Terraces (1841) and Victoria Hotel (1842) were constructed in a derivative Regency style. As the resort developed, terraced housing and two piers were constructed; Wellington Pier in 1853 and to the north Britannia Pier in 1857. In the late Victorian and Edwardian period, in addition to terraced housing, a range of entertainment structures were erected along Marine Parade, including an aquarium, the Winter Gardens and two cinemas. The development of the resort was led by the Borough Council at this time, in particular by the Borough Surveyor, J. W Cockrill (1849-1924) who also designed five listed buildings in Great Yarmouth and Gorleston.

The RSPCA horse trough with drinking fountain was presented by the Norwich and Norfolk branch of the RSPCA in 1912. It is situated opposite Britannia Terrace on Marine Parade, although this is probably not its original location. It is not shown on the Ordnance Survey maps from 1938 or 1951 which suggests that it has been moved to its present location since 1951. The RSPCA was founded in 1824 and was the world's first animal welfare charity. It was closely associated with the Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association, and throughout the second half of the C19 and early C20 both associations provided much needed drinking troughs for cattle and horses. The trough in Great Yarmouth may also have been used by the donkeys that provided rides for holiday-makers.

SOURCES
Brodie, A and Winter, G, 'England's Seaside Resorts', English Heritage (2007)
Davies, P, 'Troughs and Drinking Fountains: Fountains of Life', (1989)18-21; 37
Ferry, K, 'Powerhouses of Provincial Architecture 1837-1914' The Victorian Society (2009)45-58
Pearson, L, 'People's Palaces Britain's Seaside Pleasure Buildings' (1991)53-65
Pevsner, N and Wilson, B, 'The Buildings of England: Norfolk 1 Norwich and the North-East' 2nd Ed (1997)488-529
www.pastscape.org.uk, accessed 21st August 2009.

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION
The RSPCA horse trough with drinking fountain is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Rarity: It is one of few known surviving examples of troughs erected by the RSPCA
* Intactness: Its main component parts of granite trough resting on blocks, drinking fountain and cistern are intact, and its inscription is legible
* Historic Interest: For its association with the RSPCA, the world's first animal welfare charity, and as an eloquent relic of a society reliant on horse-based transport.

Reasons for Listing

The RSPCA horse trough with drinking fountain, erected in 1912, is designated for the following principal reasons:
* Rarity: It is one of few known surviving examples of troughs erected by the RSPCA
* Intactness: Its main component parts of granite trough resting on blocks, drinking fountain and cistern are intact, and its inscription is legible
* Historic Interest: For its association with the RSPCA, the world's first animal welfare charity, and as an eloquent relic of a society reliant on horse-based transport

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26673093

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Derbyshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)