Lincolnshire Police investigates damage to 16th Century Conduit House in Grantham

A 16th Century conduit house has been damaged.

A small tower on the Conduit building in Conduit Lane, Grantham, was damaged last night (Tuesday, September 17).

South Kesteven District Council has made it safe and Lincolnshire Police is investigating further.

A SKDC spokesperson said: “SKDC is aware of overnight damage to The Conduit and has made the structure safe.

“While the historic building is not owned by SKDC, we are responsible for maintaining it and are assessing the situation.

“We are also liaising with the police.”

In 1314, the Greyfriars, which were a religious order who came to Grantham in 1290, got permission from the Bishop of Durham to install a spring of water in Gonerby, as well as pipe water in lead pipes to their house near Market Place.

After religious orders, including the Greyfriars, were dissolved in 1539, their property was given to Robert Bocher and David Vincent.

Then in 1542, the pair built the Grange, which continued the use of the water supply.

The Conduit was then built in 1597 as a way to supply water to Market Place via the Greyfriars pipe, which separated off at the boundary of the new Grange lands.

It continued to provide a water supply to Grantham until 1891, until a new water system was put in place.

The building, intake house and pipes have remained there ever since, and is regarded as an important historical structure in Grantham.