| Summary : Coombe Conduit, a conduit house, which is thought to have been built between 1538-1545, formed part of the water supply system for Hampton Court Palace. It was one of three Conduit Houses, the other two being Gallows Conduit and Ivy Conduit, George Road, Coombe. Coombe Conduit comprises of two small Tudor buildings connected by an underground passage measuring 81 feet. The eastern building lies largely below ground, with a brick upper level and damaged roof. Internally it consists of three units. The central room measures 10 feet by 9 feet and is rendered, with recesses in three sides. Barrel vaulted annexe chambers lead off of the north and south sides, both later additions; dating to between the 17th and 19th centuries. All three chambers have lead tanks flush with the floor. The two buildings are connected by a tunnel, with four-centred brick vaulting. The western building of two storeys has an entrance doorway on the west side and an oval lead-lined cistern on the floor. Externally, the entrance front with a porch is faced with squared random rubble. Above the windows the wall continues in Tudor brickwork to a crow-stepped gable. The side walls are of brick with inserted windows, the rear has a large sloping brick buttress. |
More information : [Users please note that the construction dates quoted in sources 1-2 is now held to be superseded by more recent research suggesting a slightly later date, see sources 8-9 for more details].
A conduit house built in circa 1514, set on a spring line, which consists of two buildings separated by 81 feet. The eastern structure lies largely below ground, with a brick upper level and damaged roof. Internally it consists of three units. The central room is 10 feet x nine feet, rendered, with recesses in three sides. Barrel vaulted annexe chambers lead off of the north and south sides, both later additions. All three chambers have lead tanks flush with the floor. The two structures are connected by a tunnel, with four-centred brick vaulting. The western chamber of two storeys has an entrance doorway on the west side and an oval lead-lined cistern on the floor. Externally, the entrance front with a porch is faced with squared random rubble, above the windows the wall continues in Tudor brickwork to a crow-stepped gable. The side walls are of brick with inserted windows. [Users please note that the dating quoted in sources 1-3 is now held to be superseded by more recent research suggesting a slightly later date, see sources 8-9 for more details] (1)
Coombe Conduit, built in around 1514, formed part of Cardinal Wolsey's water supply system for Hampton Court Palace. It was one of three Conduit Houses, the other two being Gallows Conduit and Ivy Conduit, George Road, Coombe. Coombe Conduit comprises of two small Tudor buildings connected by an underground passage. Annexe chambers lead off of the north and south sides of the eastern building, both later additions; dating to between the 17th and 19th centuries. (2-3)
[TQ 20496984] Conduit House [NR] (4)
It consists of two chambers joined by an underground tunnel 81 feet long. The eastern chamber consists of three Medieval compartments which were added further compartments in the 17th-19th century. All three compartments have lead tanks flush with the floor. The west chamber is of a single compartment with a central canal tank and a smaller square tank. GRADE II*. (3,5)
Scheduled: London 92a. (6)
Coombe Conduit provided the main water supply for Hampton Court Palace, it was also the most impressive and strongly built of the water sources for the Palace. The tunnel element in its construction may have served as an overflow chamber. (7)
A late Henrician conduit, part of a system that was constructed between 1538-1545 as the needs of Henry VIII's court outgrew the earlier water supply systems built in the time of Cardinal Wolsey. In his discussion of Coombe Conduit, Dr. Thurley notes the sophisticated nature of its technology: the high water pressure that the system delivered was made possible by its particularly strong pipes; this was an advance on earlier systems such as that at Eltham. It continued providing water until 1876. Coombe Conduit house was damaged during the Second World War. (8)
The conduit has previously been ascribed to Cardinal Wolsey in circa 1514- see the earlier sources above- however the balance of evidence now suggests that it was built later in the reign of Henry VIII. The main evidence is documentary evidence dating to between 1538 and 1545, apparently relating to the construction of the conduit. (9)
A booklet containing a history and description of the Coombe conduit houses, including historical sources and illustrations. (10)
|