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Having been refurbished in 2024, the Portwell Pump sits immediately outside the Council offices. It was bestowed on the town by Sir Henry Unton, Lord of the Manor, during the 1590s, when he built Faringdon House behind All Saints’ Church. Water was pumped from the spring which still rises in the cellar of the Pump House. It was then the town’s only piped water supply. Two gas lamps were installed at its top during the 19th century, and these were converted into electricity around 1950/60s along with the remaining street lighting.
It once featured a hand pump with a heavy lead drinking cup securely chained for passers by to use. There were also two drinking troughs for cattle and horses during markets.
