Plaque

Hyde Park Conduit House - 1

Erection date: 1870

Inscription

On this spot stood a conduit house which supplied the precincts of Westminster with water till the spring was cut off by drainage in 1861. The building was removed in 1868 & this memorial erected in 1870 to mark the place where it stood.

This plaque, which was on the east face of the plinth (the back in our photo), has 'disappeared' since the photograph was taken. Diamond Geezer also has a photo of it in situ.

Site: Abbey Spring monument (2 memorials)

W2, Hyde Park, to east of Serpentine Bar and Kitchen

The river Westbourne used to run though Hyde Park following the course of what is now the Long Water and the Serpentine and left the Park at what is now Albert Gate. It was culverted and rerouted through the Park sometime in the mid 1800s by which time it was more a sewer than a sparkling stream. So it ran very close to the spring from which Westminster Abbey was supplied with water. We wonder whether the phrase "the spring was cut off by drainage in 1861" indicates that the water supply had become contaminated from the river and so was discontinued.

Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Hyde Park Conduit House - 1

Subjects commemorated i

Hyde Park Conduit House

A building that housed an ancient spring supplying water to Westminster Abbey...

Read More

This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Hyde Park Conduit House - 1

Also at this site i

Hyde Park Conduit House - 2

Hyde Park Conduit House - 2

A supply of water by conduit from this spot was granted to the Abbey of Westm...

Read More

Nearby Memorials

Whitwell

Whitwell

EC4, Queen Victoria Street

Thanks to our colleague Alan Patient for these photos, taken in 2018, of the concourse showing the memorials. But we have failed to find ...

1 subject commemorated
Ian Goodson Wickes

Ian Goodson Wickes

EC1, St Bartholomew's Hospital

This plaque is on the bench around the tree.

1 subject commemorated
Maria Dickin

Maria Dickin

E9, Cassland Road, 41

Maria Dickin, 1870 - 1951, promoter of animal welfare and founder of the PDSA, was born here. English Heritage

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
Hazelhurst Road WW2 bomb

Hazelhurst Road WW2 bomb

SW17, Hazelhurst Road, Sutton Courtenay House

V2 rocket fell in this neighbourhood, Sunday 19th November 1944, causing significant loss of life, casualties and destruction of homes. 2...

4 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
Barnsbury Beech

Barnsbury Beech

N1, Barnsbury Park

We take this opportunity to thank the posties of London: not only do they do a great job delivering our letters but, on occasion, unwitti...

1 subject commemorated

Previously viewed

George VI and the library

George VI and the library

EC4, King's Bench Buildings, 1

The opening of a temporary library seems a rather minor event for which to get a King out of bed. Given the date perhaps the war had dama...

2 subjects commemorated
G. F. Watts

G. F. Watts

Born in London. His piano-making father named him after Handel. Married briefly to Ellen Terry, many years his junior. 1886 married Mary Tytler. The statue 'Physical Energy' in Hyde Park is his. Le...

Person, Art, Sculpture

17 memorials
New Sadler's Wells Theatre

New Sadler's Wells Theatre

EC1, Rosebery Avenue

The Lilian Baylis tree was replanted on the 4th March 1996 in the presence of Lord Jenkins of Putney, Sir Roger Falk, OBE and representat...

2 subjects commemorated, 5 creators
Andy Brown

Andy Brown

a kind and considerate neighbour.

Person, Friend / family

1 memorial