22 HISTORY OF COLCHESTER CORPORATION WATER WORKS. 
valley level with the top of the London-clay. The existence of 
springs in early times combined with other favourable geo¬ 
graphical and geological conditions no doubt influenced the 
early inhabitants, and later on the Roman Colony, to establish an 
important station here. The springs which we know to-day 
probably formed the water supply of the early communities, 
and there is ample evidence, from the existence of a number of 
wells which have been found, that the Romans utilized the gravel 
beds within the walls of their station to supply their wants. 
Probably the springs just outside the walls of the Roman 
city at the foot of Balkern Hill, and in the railway cutting by 
St. Botolph’s Station (which are thrown out by the London- 
clay), were also used by the early inhabitants of the city. These 
springs are still in possession of the Corporation, but are used 
only for non-domestic purposes. For many years they formed 
the sources of the early water works. It is somewhat remarkable 
that history repeats itself even in water supplies, as it remained 
for the present community to further utilize the gravel beds 
to which I have referred, but under entirely different conditions, 
to supplement their deep well supply, by bringing into use those 
wonderful Lexden Springs which yield so much water from the 
same plateau of gravel, but some mile and three quarters west 
of the town and water works, and which it is the province of 
these notes to describe in some detail. 
The site of the present water works is at the foot of Balkern 
Hill, just outside the Roman wall, in close proximity to the 
springs already referred to. It also formed the site of the early 
water works constructed in 1808 to supply the town with 
w r ater from land springs overlying the London-clay. The 
engineer, who ever he then was, w r as not slow to recognise the 
advantage of the site due to the existence of the springs, wffiich he 
freely used to supply to the town. The late Mr. Peter Bruff 
stated in 1850 that, in consequence of the springs having to a 
great extent run low 7 , it was necessary to seek for a more efficient 
supply. These springs, however, remained in use for many 
years, notwithstanding this remark, yielding as late as 1888 
some 86,000 gallons per day in summer and probably more in 
winter. In early days the yield w T as no doubt considerably 
more, as many of the springs w 7 ere diverted in other directions 
and have since disappeared from view 7 for ever when the main 
