Description

1188/0/10121 BISHOPSGATE
12-JUN-02 The Swan Pit and Sluice, The Great Hos
pital

II

Swan pit and attached sluice. Late C18, restored late C19 with C20 alteration. Painted brick.
Large rectangular pool with brick sides, those to north, west and south of late C18 painted brick. The east wall was rebuilt in stock brick in late C19 with ashlar egg and dart moulding to coping. At both eastern corners are brick paved ramps.
Attached to the north a stone sided channel with two C19 sluice gates which link the pit with the River Wensum. The sluices ensure that the pit is filled at high tide, not allowed to empty at low tide.
This very rare 'swan pit' was used for the breeding of local swans for the Master of the Great Hospital, Norwich, who since medieval times had the right to cull swans and provide them for feasts.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26642838

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
• 
  Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments
• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)