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

• 
  Worcestershire Revised Edition (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Setting up a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement: Historic England Advice Note 5