Last year the Youlgrave Village Plan Group secured European funding (from LEADER) to renovate the historic communal tap sites from which residents of Youlgrave traditionally drew water before houses were supplied individually. The project has now been completed.  Work has been carried out to the sites, particularly the stonework surrounds and gratings.

We have consulted with the National Park and have adopted a minimalist approach, so have not reconnected the water supply or provided new taps. Furthermore, the ‘Fountain’ or conduit head is a listed structure (and therefore has not been touched) but is included in the interpretation aspect of the project.

The new interpretation board telling the story of the taps and their significance in village life is in place on the wall of the Reading Room and invites visitors to walk round the village and identify the tap spots (see below). Some of these sites, of course, are the traditional welldressing sites and thus link with an important village tradition and visitor attraction. The interpretation board also incorporates a new noticeboard for the Reading Room.

Youlgrave Village Plan and the Parish Council are very grateful to LEADER for the financial support we received to realise this project.