Monument record 1160/161/1 - Great Conduit

The great conduit, with the conduit hall above it, was built on the south side of the market place in 1481. The building was destroyed during the fire of 1675 although the conduit appears to be in use until at least 1831. Archaeological investigations undertaken during the redevelopment of the Market Square identified the conduit pipe leading to the Great Conduit.

{1}Situated to the south east of the Market Square in Conduit Lane;,

{4}Bequethal of money for repair of conduit in 1509; uncertain which conduit is referred to.

{5} The market place also contained the Great Conduit which was erected in c1481. It was a building of two or three storeys with a hall above the conduit which was used for meetings. The arches below contained shops in the C17 and a bridewell in the C18. The building was destroyed in the fire of 1675.

{6} Accounts vary as to the date of construction of the great conduit building- either 1461, another 1478 and a third 1481. The last date is believed to be correct. It was supplied with water by pipes from the spring known as the conduit-head in a field to the east of the town (where St Andrews now stands). In 1543 the pipes to the conduit were relaid for a better water supply. The hall above the conduit was used for various guild meetings and trade purposes. The little conduit was the older building and after the construction of the great conduit the water was first conducted to the great conduit and then by pipes to the smaller predecessor. A large tank was built in the south-east corner of All Saints churchyard in 1831 and there was no water in either of the conduits thereafter [Includes detailed history of the conduits].

{7} Archaeological investigation undertaken during the redevelopment of the Market Square identified a 6m length of the conduit pipe leading to the Great Conduit. It was defined by two ironstone walls between 1.8m and 2.5m apart with a curved roof. Finds from the silting deposits included part of a small medieval casket key and a medieval iron casket mount.

<1> Ordnance Survey Map (Scale/date), (1:2,500/1883) (Map). SNN112944.

<2> Roper; Cole, 1807, Map of The Town of Northampton, (checked) (Map). SNN621.

<3> Noble; Butlin, 1746, Town Map, (checked) (Map). SNN430.

<4> Serjeantson R.M.; Longden Isham H., 1913, The Parish Churches & Religious Houses of Northamptonshire: Their Dedications, Altars etc., p.160 (checked) (Extract). SNN1080.

<5> Page W. (ed), 1930, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire- The Borough of Northampton (Series). SNN100370.

<6> Cox Rev.J.C., 1898, Records of The Borough of Northampton, p. 252 (Book). SNN3420.

<7> Clare, R, 2024, Post-Excavation Assessment and Updated Project Design for a programme of archaeological observation, investigation, recording, analysis, and publication at Market Square, Northampton Northamptonshire, April to November 2023, p. 37-9 (Report). SNN116794.

Record last edited

Apr 23 2025 3:51PM