Monk's Conduit well house
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Scheduled Monument
- List Entry Number:
- 1017297
- Date first listed:
- 17-Feb-1947
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Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Scheduled Monument
- List Entry Number:
- 1017297
- Date first listed:
- 17-Feb-1947
- Date of most recent amendment:
- 11-Feb-2000
Location
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Wiltshire (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Edington
- National Grid Reference:
- ST 92449 52979
Reasons for Designation
Well houses are medieval structures built to protect the water supply to institutions such as monasteries and abbeys. They are small, typically stone built structures placed over a spring or near several water sources. The water which collected in a stone or lead tank was transported to its destination by lead pipes or gutters. The surrounding structure protected the tank from contamination. The Monk's Conduit well house is a well preserved and complete survival which has served as the outlet of a spring for over 500 years. There is a strong likelihood that its construction was associated with the Priory of the Bonhommes.
Details
The monument includes the Monk's Conduit, a 15th century well house situated in a small valley on a springline in the centre of Edington, a village below the chalk scarp of Salisbury Plain. The building is rectangular and measures 3.5m long and 2.5m wide. It is set into a steep bank so that only the west facing wall, which is 3.5m high with a triangular gable above a doorway, is visible from outside. The vaulted roof is stone tiled and supported by two stone ribs. Water rises from apertures in the back wall and flows into a large stone tank 1m wide and 2.5m long. The water then overflows the tank and drains through the doorway, forming a small stream. The Monk's Conduit is Listed Grade I and, as the name implies, may have been associated with the Priory of the Bonhommes who were in Edington from 1358 to 1534. The priory church and the walled garden of the priory together with associated fishponds survive 400m to the north east, and are the subject of a separate scheduling.
MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract. It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features, considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 31695
- Legacy System:
- RSM
Legal
This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 09-Jun-2026 at 20:06:44.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.