As you will know, Limpsfield’s historic horse trough, once a landmark at Detillens Lane and the A25, was stolen in August 2024. Despite initial strong evidence, police have not been able to further pursue leads, and it sadly remains unrecovered. The Parish Council is now working to replace it with a high-quality replica.

This week, Craig Buchan and Paul Brennan of BBC Surrey/South East got behind our endeavours and ran a piece on BBC News South East and recorded an interview for the BBC Surrey breakfast show with James Cannon.

You can read the online article here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce3q0y0zx72o

Originally donated in 1913 by Alice and Horace Barry, the trough bore inscriptions from the Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association and had been part of daily life for well over a century.

Although insured, it is an incredibly specialist item and difficult to value and while our insurers are happy to pay out on the trough, the amount may not fully cover a quality replacement plus secure installation. The Council will be contributing, we have also had a generous offer of a donation from the Drinking Fountain Association, and we have launched an appeal for public donations to ensure we get the best replacement we can.

To help restore this piece of Limpsfield’s history, please go to: gofundme.com/f/replace-our-stolen-historic-horse-trough.