Former Royal Naval Hospital Water Tower
FORMER ROYAL NAVAL HOSPITAL WATER TOWER, HIGH STREET
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1113325
- Date first listed:
- 01-May-1975
- List Entry Name:
- Former Royal Naval Hospital Water Tower
- Statutory Address:
- FORMER ROYAL NAVAL HOSPITAL WATER TOWER, HIGH STREET
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Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2003-12-02
- Reference:
- IOE01/06372/23
- Rights:
- © Mr Gerald Rendle. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1113325
- Date first listed:
- 01-May-1975
- Date of most recent amendment:
- 09-Nov-1998
- List Entry Name:
- Former Royal Naval Hospital Water Tower
- Statutory Address 1:
- FORMER ROYAL NAVAL HOSPITAL WATER TOWER, HIGH STREET
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- FORMER ROYAL NAVAL HOSPITAL WATER TOWER, HIGH STREET
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- City of Plymouth (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Non Civil Parish
- National Grid Reference:
- SX 46761 54819
Details
HIGH STREET
740-1/56/822 (North side)
Stonehouse
Former Royal Naval Hospital
Water Tower
01/05/1975 (Formerly listed as:
HIGH STREET, Stonehouse, Royal
Naval Hospital: Water-Tower)
GV II*
Water tower. 1758-80. Plymouth limestone rubble with limestone quoins and other dressings. Octagonal plan. Moulded cornice under low-pitched roof with central octagonal turret leaded dome and ball finial. 3 storey elevations with blocked oculi to upper floors. Blocked round-arched doorway; another doorway lower down to left-hand return; ledged door.
INTERIOR: retains wooden frame for the water tanks.
HISTORY: probably originally with a lead cistern fed by chain pump, which pressurised a supply to water closets and throughout the wards. By 1800 an 'engine house' pumped to the reservoir. As such this is an early instance of a water-borne system of sanitation. and one which remains remarkably complete.
A significant part of the hospital plan, and of an outstanding and uniquely complete military hospital complex. The earliest known example of a water tower in Britain is the Water House of c1732 at Houghton Hall in Norfolk, the Plymouth example being an unusually early precursor of the water towers that appeared in increasing numbers for communal water supply of towns, hospitals etc from the mid C19. Previous to this date, there existed gravity-fed cisterns for communal water supply, such as the Lavatory Tower at Canterbury Cathedral, and there are two other examples of mid C17 date (at Abington Park, Northampton, and Dame Mary Bolle's Water Tower, Heath Common, West Yorkshire) which have retained evidence of water-powered pumping systems.
Morrison K: Royal Naval Hospital, Stonehouse: Cambridge: 1992: 100373).
Listing NGR: SX4676154819
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 473522
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Morrison, K, Royal Naval Hospital Stonehouse, (1992), 100373
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 08-Jun-2026 at 11:42:41.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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