Hobson's Conduit

Watercourse

Système d’irrigation de la ville de Cambridge bâtit au début du 17 eme siècle. Certaines voies sont désormais souterraines. Le monument qui reste le plus visible se trouve au sud de la vieille ville.

Hobson’s Conduit is a 17th century overground watercourse, built to bring water to the city of Cambridge.The idea to divert water into the city to improve sanitation was first raised in 1574 by Master of Peterhouse, Andrew Perne. The concept was revived by Sidney Sussex College master, James Montagu in the early 17th century and the watercourse was built between 1610 and 1614 at the expense of the University and the Town.Thomas Hobson, a postal carrier and livery stable owner, was one of several benefactors that donated to the construction of the Conduit. However, he established a trust to manage and maintain the watercourse; Hobson’s Conduit Trust still exists today.The water that fills Hobson’s conduit comes from an area called Nine Wells, chalk springs near Great Shelford. Water travels 5 kilometres down purpose-built channels and diverted brooks to the University of Cambridge Botanic Garden where it splits into four branches.The Trumpington Street branches flows in open sluices to Peterhouse and Pembroke Colleges. St Andrew’s Street branch runs to Christ’s and Emmanuel Colleges. The Parker’s Piece branch filled a cattle pond in Parker’s Piece but this was filled in in 1827.The final branch used to feed the fountain at the Market Place in the city centre. After a fire in the mid-19th century a large Gothic fountain was built to use the water, but this was taken down in 1959 and re-erected as a monument to Hobson where the Conduit heads under Lensfield Road.The Conduit has not been used for drinking water since the Cambridge Water Company was established in 1853; instead, water for the city was sourced from reservoirs in Cherry Hinton. Today, water is sourced from 24 boreholes, abstracting from chalk aquifers South and East of Cambridge.

In 1614, a joint enterprise of the University and the town of Cambridge brought a supply of running water into the town from springs at Great Shelford. Thomas Hobson, the carrier (1544-1630) was a benefactor of the scheme and for that reason, the watercourse became known as Hobsons Conduit.This monument marks the end of the artificial watercourse. From this point, the water runs in culverts to re appear in runnels in Trumpington Street and St Andrews Street. Other culverts feed ponds in certain of the colleges.From 1614 to 1856, the monument stood upon Market Hill, where it served as a fountain. In the latter year, following the provision of a piped supply of water by the Cambridge Water Company, the fountain was moved to its present site. It was extensively restored in 1967.

Beautiful waterway to visit in Cambridge built in 1610 to 1614.