Water Hydrant opposite Ivy Cottage, Nettlecombe
Ivy Cottage, Nettlecombe Lane, Whitwell, Isle of Wight, PO38 2AE
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1465413
- Date first listed:
- 18-Oct-2019
- List Entry Name:
- Water Hydrant opposite Ivy Cottage, Nettlecombe
- Statutory Address:
- Ivy Cottage, Nettlecombe Lane, Whitwell, Isle of Wight, PO38 2AE
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Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1465413
- Date first listed:
- 18-Oct-2019
- List Entry Name:
- Water Hydrant opposite Ivy Cottage, Nettlecombe
- Location Description:
- Located on the opposite side of the road to Ivy Cottage.
- Statutory Address 1:
- Ivy Cottage, Nettlecombe Lane, Whitwell, Isle of Wight, PO38 2AE
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:
- Ivy Cottage, Nettlecombe Lane, Whitwell, Isle of Wight, PO38 2AE
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Isle of Wight (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Niton and Whitwell
- National Grid Reference:
- SZ5266078276
Summary
A free-standing water hydrant of 1887, one of a series of eight remaining in Whitwell and Nettlecombe.
Reasons for Designation
The water hydrant opposite Ivy Cottage in Nettlecombe on the Isle of Wight, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Architectural interest:
* as a decorative, late-C19 cast-iron water hydrant of good quality;
* the hydrant is unaltered and intact.
Historic interest:
* although water hydrants were once a common feature of the street scene, original examples, especially of this quality and intactness, are increasingly rare;
* the water hydrant is a reminder of the philanthropy shown by some C19 landowners to their local community, in an age when a reliable and clean water supply was not universally available.
Group value:
* the water hydrant is part of a system of eight hydrants, located throughout Nettlecombe and Whitwell.
History
The water hydrant system in Whitwell and Nettlecombe was installed in 1887, and six examples remain in Whitwell and two in Nettlecombe. There were originally 16 hydrants which were provided at a cost of £600, and known locally as 'lions' or 'red boys'. Half the funding came from Mr W Spindler of nearby Old Park, the remainder being supplied by the local population.
Mr Spindler was a German industrial chemist who came to the Isle of Wight for the benefit of his health in 1873, and purchased an estate of 144 acres known as Old Park in the Undercliff. The water for the hydrant system was supplied free by Mr Granville Ward, from a spring on his land to the west. Prior to the new supply, the local population were known to have suffered ill-health through drinking contaminated water from the local wells and springs.
The design of the hydrant provided water from the lion's mouth, a platform for the water bucket, a knob to the side for activating the water supply and also a metal cup on a chain for more immediate refreshment. The cup and chain have now been removed.
Details
A free-standing water hydrant of 1887, one of a series of eight remaining in Whitwell and Nettlecombe.
MATERIALS: cast-iron.
DESCRIPTION: the hydrant is painted red and located in the hedge opposite Ivy Cottage. It faces north onto the lane. It is around 1m high and comprises a fluted column, standing on a moulded and pierced base, which also acted as a support for a water bucket. The column is surmounted by a domed and fluted cap, which is decorated with an acorn finial. Below, there is a lion's-head mask, with water dispenser and an operating knob to the side.
Sources
Websites
Whitwell History website, accessed 31 July 2019 from https://whitwellhistory.co.uk/history/
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 25-Jun-2026 at 16:11:48.
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.