Open Water Conduits in Church Street and Penrose Road

Summary

Part of an extensive system of conduits fed from a leat from the river Cober.

Reasons for Designation

The system of conduits in Helston is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Early date: an early example of a sanitation system laid out in the first part of the C19;
* Design interest: substantial sections have good quality detailing and construction of dressed granite;
* Intactness: though much renewed and replaced, the system retains its overall character and form;
* Group value and setting: the conduits are an integral part of the streetscape of Helston contributing significantly to the character of the town, together with the numerous listed buildings which line the streets.

History

The system of conduits at Helston is likely to date from the early C19, at a time when the town was still enjoying the prosperity brought by its position as a stannary town and an important centre for the local tin mining industry. The population of Helston rose from 2250 in 1801 to 3500 in 1841, but there was little expansion in the overall extent of the town, with the greater numbers being accommodated by small-scale infill housing. One result of the population boom was a major investment in public sanitation. There is a lack of documentary evidence regarding the inception of the conduits, but it is thought that these channels, known locally as 'kennels', were installed at this time, and may have replaced an earlier, less sophisticated system.

The conduits have undergone much repair over the years, involving the replacement and rearrangement significant portions of their fabric, and the resurfacing of some elements. Repairs generally have used appropriate materials and stylistic finishes. Additionally, parts of the system have been covered over to provide wider roads, notably in Meneage Street. However, the channels remain extant beneath the road covering and continue to carry water.

Church Street leads from the Church of St Michael at the north end, to the market hall and civic centre at the south end, and is one of the town's principal historic streets. Penrose Road is a mix of civic, educational, and residential buildings, adjoining Church Street.

Details

MATERIALS: dressed and plain granite revetments and bridges set at pavement level. Cut granite, shale or cobbled channel base. Iron grates.

PLAN & FORM: the topography of the town is key to the arrangement of the extensive system, which is fed from the diverted River Cober approximately 2km to the north, and feeds back into it to the south of the town. The majority of the system is below ground; only on the main roads through the centre are the channels exposed.

The conduits on Church Street have water flowing downhill from the north and from the south, converging at the bottom by No. 13 Church Street, where the flow is diverted underground. To the north the channel follows the retaining wall of the churchyard of St Michael (Listed Grade II*) on the west, and is diverted to the east side of the road south of the church, where it flows down a conduit with several bridges giving access to adjacent buildings. At No. 35 Church Street (Listed Grade II) the conduit passes beneath a pavement stretching the length of the house before continuing downhill.

At the top of the hill to the south the water flows beneath the area of tooled paving and steps outside the Market Hall (Listed Grade II) and Guildhall (Listed Grade II*) and emerges at the junction with Penrose Road. It flows down a conduit on the east side of the road and is spanned by several pedestrian bridges and steps.

The Penrose Road section of the conduits follows the road downhill from the west, along the south side, passing briefly underground at the corner. On the main stretch the channel is bounded by garden walls on the south, and is spanned by several bridges and steps giving access to adjacent houses.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

385401

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Other
Title: Ordnance Survey Map (1:2500) Source Date: 1908 Author: Publisher: Surveyor:
The Kennels Leat System, Coinagehall Street, Helston, Cornwall, Archaeological and historical assessment, Historic Environment Service (Projects), Cornwall County Council, 2008 ,
Helston Conservation Area Appraisal & Management Strategy, Alan Baxter for Cornwall Council, March 2010,

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