Scheduled MonumentsEnglandHobson's Conduit

Hobson's Conduit

England
List entry 1006912
Nation
England
Boundary

Scheduled area

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Overview

History & significance

Hobson's Conduit is a sixteenth-century water supply system constructed in Cambridge to serve the town's needs. Built by Thomas Hobson, a prominent Cambridge carrier and benefactor, the conduit brought fresh water from springs near Nine Wells to the marketplace and other parts of the town, with the work largely completed by the early seventeenth century. The system comprised a series of underground pipes and channels, with visible structures including a conduit head and distribution points that became important civic infrastructure. Hobson's legacy as the creator of this public water supply remained significant to Cambridge's development, and elements of the conduit survive as important monuments to early modern civic engineering and charitable provision.

Hobson's Conduit is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1006912. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Hobson's Conduit?

Hobson's Conduit is a sixteenth-century water supply system constructed in Cambridge to serve the town's needs. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1006912.

Who is responsible for protecting Hobson's Conduit?

Hobson's Conduit is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1006912.

What other scheduled monuments are near Hobson's Conduit?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Settlement NW of Little Shelford (5.6 km), Money Hill Round Barrow Cemetery (7.5 km), Settlement site at Manor Farm (8.3 km).

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