Big Watron

Tristan da Cunha’s Settlement site was ideal as a strong stream of pure fresh water known as the Big Watron (thought to be a corruption of ‘Watering’) rose from a spring at the base of the cliffs, flowed north down the slopes of the Settlement Plain and then cascaded down the low cliffs to the sea. The lack of a similar good water supply ruled out other settlement sites on Tristan and outlying islands – here was the only spot where a community could thrive. In early days the stream was diverted to provide rivulets to give houses easier access to fresh water.