Drakes Place: Reservoir Walls, Colonnade, Boundary Walls and Railings, Conduits, Drinking Fountain and Fountain
DRAKES PLACE: RESERVOIR WALLS, COLONNADE, BOUNDARY WALLS AND RAILINGS, CONDUITS, DRINKING FOUNTAIN AND FOUNTAIN, NORTH HILL
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1386291
- Date first listed:
- 25-Jan-1954
- List Entry Name:
- Drakes Place: Reservoir Walls, Colonnade, Boundary Walls and Railings, Conduits, Drinking Fountain and Fountain
- Statutory Address:
- DRAKES PLACE: RESERVOIR WALLS, COLONNADE, BOUNDARY WALLS AND RAILINGS, CONDUITS, DRINKING FOUNTAIN AND FOUNTAIN, NORTH HILL
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2004-07-07
- Reference:
- IOE01/06372/35
- 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:
- 1386291
- Date first listed:
- 25-Jan-1954
- Date of most recent amendment:
- 09-Nov-1998
- List Entry Name:
- Drakes Place: Reservoir Walls, Colonnade, Boundary Walls and Railings, Conduits, Drinking Fountain and Fountain
- Statutory Address 1:
- DRAKES PLACE: RESERVOIR WALLS, COLONNADE, BOUNDARY WALLS AND RAILINGS, CONDUITS, DRINKING FOUNTAIN AND FOUNTAIN, NORTH HILL
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:
- DRAKES PLACE: RESERVOIR WALLS, COLONNADE, BOUNDARY WALLS AND RAILINGS, CONDUITS, DRINKING FOUNTAIN AND FOUNTAIN, NORTH HILL
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 48099 55115
Details
740-1/43/382 NORTH HILL
25-JAN-54 (West side)
Drakes Place: Reservoir Walls, Colonna
de, Boundary Walls and Railings, Condu
its, Drinking Fountain and Fountain
(Formerly listed as:
DRAKES PLACE, NORTH HILL
REMAINS OF CONDUIT BUILT INTO WALL FAC
ING ROAD)
(Formerly listed as:
DRAKES PLACE, NORTH HILL
REMAINS OF CONDUIT BUILT INTO WALL NEA
R WEST ENTRANCE)
(Formerly listed as:
DRAKES PLACE, NORTH HILL
COLONNADE)
GV II
Loggia, tower, and ornamental fountain with associated boundary walls and railings, built to commemorate the importance of the creation of the city leats and as part of a small public park centred around the reservoir. Part of granite inscription dated 1598, 1754 construction on site of 1617 conduit (Drake's Leat) incorporating reused columns from the former C17 market building; fountain built plus remodelling and reconstruction of the reservoir in 1874; further reconstruction in 1891. Stucco with stucco detail, paired granite columns, Plymouth limestone ashlar to terminal impost piers, coursed limestone and brick piers to tower, otherwise Plymouth limestone rubble used for retaining wall and side walls of reservoir.
PLAN: battered retaining wall of reservoir with open loggia in front with 8 bays to either side of semicircular-on-plan stepped fountain plus small square-plan tower on the left and flanking walls to the whole.
Loggia has moulded, keyed segmental arches on paired Tuscan columns, the impost piers have moulded plinths and capitals. Right of the loggia is a flight of stone steps to get to a walk above the loggia. Tower has pilaster corner piers and there is a pyramidal slate roof with a wide eaves soffit carried on large open brackets. Front has keyed round brick arch over split lunette flanking a pinnacle over tablet date 1754. To the south return and the east return along North Hill is a ramped and coped wall of brought-to-course Plymouth limestone with rock-faced piers with moulded cornices. Aligned with the end of the loggia is a pediment surmounted by a panel dated 1891 and inscribed with the names of those involved in the reconstruction of this monument. The panel is under a coped gable with a turned finial. The wall facing North Hill has ashlar piers with moulded cornices at regular intervals, with ornate heads to cast-iron railings (by Ellacott Foundry, Plymouth) to the final northern section. The former entrance to the reservoir from North Hill is placed in this latter section, and has stone steps flanked by similar ashlar piers.
An important monument to the water supply of Plymouth, fed since the C16 by leats from Dartmoor.
The Remains of Conduit built into wall near west entrance and the Colonnade were listed on 01/05/75.
(The Buildings of England: Pevsner P: Devon: London: 1989-: 669).
Listing NGR: SX4809955115
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 473676
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Pevsner, N, Cherry, B, The Buildings of England: Devon, (1989), 669
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 15-Jun-2026 at 07:48:01.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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