The restored tap-jars from the tip to the rear of the Glinton Artesian Water Company site
The 1922 advertisement for Hydrox Soda Water that illustrated Bob Randall’s article on ‘Helpston Groundwater Project’ (Issue 55) reminded me of nearly 30 years ago when my late father and I were excavating a tip to the rear of the Glinton Artesian Water Company (Sobrite and Hydrox), where we discovered a cache of broken tap-jars and numerous mineral-water bottles in perfect condition. Bob’s item prompted me to dig out my old research notes in order to recollect more about the site.
In June 1899, Peterborough Corporation sank four bores in the vicinity of Fox Covert Road, Glinton, in order to supply water to the city. Three springs were found to contain hard water whilst the fourth was soft. Attempts to blend the two resulted in a milky, white solution. Since the hard water was more plentiful, the Corporation decided to use this and so the soft water bore was capped. Local entrepreneur, Herbert ‘Toffee’ Neaverson (1874-1952), who had gained his nickname through his business connexions with Mackintosh of York, immediately realised the efficacious properties of the soft water spring. He promptly acquired the land and sank a shaft to a depth of 164 feet. His actions ensured a continuous flow of natural spring water, which a London analyst certified as being of ‘superior quality’.
By 1914, Herbert encapsulated the spring within a factory, adjacent to the Peterborough-Spalding railway line and began trading under the name of the Glinton Artesian Water Company Limited, with an office in his confectionery shop at 18 Long Causeway, Peterborough. Herbert invited suggestions for a snappy commercial name for his product, offering a prize of ‘one golden sovereign’ for the most apt proposal. Although the winner of the competition remains a mystery, by January 1915 the name ‘Sobrite’ had been adopted and new machinery had been installed, increasing the factory’s output to 6,000 bottles of spring-water per week by the following September.
Over the next three years, newspaper advertisements for ‘Sobrite’ reflected the demands of a country at war, with the company producing a non-alcoholic beer at six pence a pint for consumption by soldiers and munitions workers. In April 1917, Sobrite Limited purchased the machinery, stock and ‘goodwill’ of rival mineral water manufacturers, J.E. Saunders Limited, who had gone into voluntary liquidation, thus increasing Herbert’s capacity even further.
In 1922, Herbert had formed a syndicate with Sir Harold Mackintosh, Sir Charles Higham MP and Major Peter Thomas in order to market spring water on a huge scale under the brand name of ‘Hydrox’. The product received positive reports, since an independent analyst is recorded as having proclaimed that, “It is excellent table-water for general use, and especially for persons who suffer from gouty and rheumatic tendencies and for persons who suffer from hyper-acidity and indigestion. It should be a formidable rival to foreign table-waters, as they possess no advantages over it.”
On Tuesday 19 May 1922, amid a blaze of publicity, both local and London journalists had the opportunity to sample ‘Hydrox’ at the ‘grand opening ceremony’ of a ‘grotto’ that Herbert had constructed at his Glinton factory. Once inside, guests were invited to gather around the spring-head set against a backdrop of frescoes and faux emerald green marble. At the touch of a lever, a six-foot fountain of ice-cold soda water dashed “poetically in foaming spray upon a rock scattered base.” Herbert then delivered a speech, predicting that the additional machinery at the Glinton plant would enable his company to supply some 60,000 bottles of mineral water per day in order to slake the thirsts of the inhabitants of ‘large provincial centres’. Furthermore, he envisaged the construction of additional railway sidings in order to facilitate the transport of Hydrox to the grand hotels of London and York.
For reasons unknown, Herbert’s grandiose schemes never came into fruition. Instead, he continued to expand his retail business, becoming an agent for ‘Vimto’ and ‘Cydrax’. Moreover, at the East of England Show of July 1930, his trade stands displayed ten different varieties of mineral water.
Herbert’s career as a mineral water manufacturer reached its zenith in February 1951 when, having entered the Lisbon International Drinks Exhibition for the first time, he was awarded the highest accolade, the ‘Cross of Honour’ as well as to two gold medals for other entries. Herbert modestly gave most of the credit to Mr. P.A. Zollo, his general manager and director, who had joined the firm in 1947. On the strength of this success and with aspirations of overseas trade, Herbert announced that the company would be investing £2,000 in a fully-automated plant, capable of washing, filling and labelling one thousand bottles per hour.
Greg Prior (kneeling) and his late father examining a hoard of smashed Sobrite tap-jars, March 1980
With international recognition and state-of-the-art equipment, it would appear that the firm’s prosperity was assured, but this was not to be. Herbert Neaverson died on 14 May 1952, aged 56. In late 1955, Hydrox ceased trading and the goodwill of the business was secured by Adcock’s Mineral Water Manufacturers Limited of Huntley Grove, Peterborough.
The Fox Covert Road factory was later acquired first by Reckitt and Colman (Wholesalers), then W.M. Briggs and Son Limited (Fat Refiners), before its demolition in May/June 1989. The site was developed by Peterborough City Council who planted it with woodland species.
Even today, it is still possible to see the erstwhile famous mineral water spring percolating through the ground, amidst discarded plastic ‘pop’ bottles, beer cans and other twenty-first century litter.
If any readers have snippets of information relating to this article, we would be delighted to include them (with references) in our forthcoming publication on the mineral-water manufacturers of Peterborough. By Greg Prior and Avril Lumley Prior
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Have you seen the image/old photo/large picture that used to be in Werrington Library of the gushing “soda fountain” at the Foxcovert Rd site? The date may be near to the original sinking of the soda well?
Thanks David - I’ll pass your comment on to Bob Randall for him to look into.
Tony
Thanks for the interesting article. Herbert Neaverson was my grandfather and I can remember visiting the Fox Covert Road site, presumably around 1955 when the factory was still in production. I re-visited the place with my sister 2 years ago and was very sad to see the state of the area, litter strewn as the article describes. Herbert’s family came from Peakirk, so this was very local for him, although by 1922 he was living in a house on the Dogsthorpe Road where Airedale Close is now.
Just a quick follow-up to my earlier comment. My sister has just pointed out that Herbert Neaverson’s age when he died was in fact 78 - he was born on 13th May 1874 - and died the day after his 78th birthday of heart failure during an operation.
Just wondering if this Hydrox Mineral Water is what I have a bottle cap for? I am in the states and wonder how it would have gotten here.
@Michelle.
Not sure if it’s relevant to your bottle cap, but in 1923, a year after the company was launched, my grandfather Herbert sailed to the USA on a month long business trip. Initially he stayed at the Pennsylvania Hotel in New York, but otherwise I have no details of where he went or the nature of his business in the US. However it is more than possible he was setting up deals to export Hydrox products to the US. There are one or two other Neaverson connections to the USA, including his niece Millicent Lucy Neaverson who was employed as a companion to a rich lady who lived in Manhattan, from around that time until after the end of WW2, so it conceivable she took bottles of Hydrox water out with her as she seemd to cross the Atlantic quite frequently.
It would be interesting to know in which part of the US you live, because obviously the foregoing would only suggest a link with New York City.
HI Andy, Was Herbert related to Leslie Lawrence Neaverson. He was my grand father
To the last poster. Yes, Leslie Lawrence and Herbert were related. Leslie was the last child of John and Elizabeth Neaverson, and John was one of Herbert’s older brothers. In fact Herbert was the youngest of 17 children of William Neaverson (who married twice, unsurprisingly!) If you visit the Peterborough area, then any other Neaverson you bump into is most likely to be related to you. They are share a common ancestor in William’s father John Neaverson who was born in 1781 in Etton. Other branches of the family live in Yorkshire (Huddersfield and Wakefield), Lincolnshire, Derbyshire and London, as well as Sydney, Australia where your grandfather died. I’m sure you know that your grandfather and grandmother are buried in St Pega’s churchyard in Peakirk.