Water pumps were commonplace in Gibraltar, drawing up water from the rainwater collection cisterns built beneath the patios which was a characteristic feature of Gibraltar’s 18^th and 19^th Century architecture. Water pumped up in this way was often stored into barrels or large earthenware pots called tinajas found in every house.

Post-war saw the modernization of Gibraltar’s water distribution system rendering most cisterns obsolete except for watering and cleaning purposes. Today very few cisterns remain in operational use and this has often led to the discarding of many old patio water pumps over the years. Recent conservation initiatives has resulted in the recovery and restoration of a number of pumps, which remains an integral part of Gibraltar’s social identity.

This particular pump is operated in the form of a wheel. Piping also allowed water to be pumped directly to the flats above, which proved a much more convenient method than the earlier hand pulled pumps that could only draw water up a short span.