If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

Greyfriars conduit, Greyfriars Pathway to Arboretum Avenue.

Full description

PRN 70014
In 1535 the Greyfriars obtained licence from the city council to build a conduit in the city's common ground {1}{3}{4}, bringing water for it from the spring near Monks Abbey. The conduit stood at the south-west corner of the present building (PRN 70154).{2} This conduit is thought to have been at least partly constructed from stone and lead salvaged from the parish churches of Holy Trinity, Greetstone and St Augustine's Butwerk, and the former hospital of which St Bartholomew's church formed the core. The lead roof of the hospital chapel may have been reused in the tank at the end of the conduit which was used to store the water within the city. It is also postulated that the friars may have been obliged to place the conduit head in a location where it could supply both the friary and the city, in return for the assistance of the city council with licences and materials.{4}
After the Dissolution, the conduit, 'which the mayor wanted for the city' {1}, was purchased by the city council.{2}{3}{4}{5} Further support for the theory that the conduit head was located in a position accessible to all is provided by the city's enthusiastic pursuit of the acquisition of the conduit, as it is thought that the city would not have been so keen if they did not already benefit directly from the conduit. Also, it is unlikely that William Monson, who purchased the Greyfriars site, would have wanted the city entering his property to access the conduit head. The exact location of the conduit head on the Greyfriars site is uncertain, but a site anywhere along the southern precinct boundary would have been suitable for both the friary and the city.{4}
See also PRN 70135.

<1> William Page (ed), 1906, The Victoria County History: Lincolnshire - Volume 2, pp. 222-223 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI1104.

<2> A.J. White, 1979, Lincoln's Medieval Friaries, p. 3 (Unpublished Document). SLI8125.

<3> A.J. White, 1980, St Mary's Conduit, Lincoln, p. 2 (Unpublished Document). SLI8126.

<4> Stocker, D.A., 1990, ‘The archaeology of the Reformation in Lincoln’ in Lincolnshire History and Archaeology, pp. 18, Fig. 1, and 22 (Article in Serial). SLI6707.

<5> JONES M, 1993, LINCOLN HISTORY AND GUIDE, p. 43 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI1075.

Monument Types

• AQUEDUCT (Medieval to Unknown - 1535 AD)
• CONDUIT (Medieval to Unknown - 1535 AD)

Protected Status

• Conservation Area
• Scheduled Monument
• Conservation Area

Sources and further reading

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.