Location: beside the entrance door of the Coach House Theatre, Grange Road
Description: an iron column with a tap.

This cast iron column is a standpipe. Standpipes were external, free-standing pipes that were fitted with a tap and located particularly in streets, where there was no other running water supply. It is said that this one was rescued from Priory Lodge Hall, where it stood by the main entrance. This is now a council-owned building next to the Council House. 

 

In 1847 hydropathic practitioner Dr James Manby Gully moved into the Priory, a magnificent private house that stood on the site of the present Council House. His stables were immediately to the north-east of where Priory Lodge Hall was later built, so the standpipe may have been used for watering the animals. In January 1872 Dr Gully moved away from Malvern and the Priory was sold, demolished and rebuilt. On the site where Priory Lodge Hall was later built the new owner's gardener had his house, the Pine house, and a greenhouse. In 1911 the Priory became a school for the sons of noblemen and gentlemen followed 1925, when the Priory became the council offices. In September 1929 it was decided that The Gymnasium should be renamed Priory Lodge Hall. It was perhaps at that time that the standpipe became redundant, was disconnected from the water main, and eventually moved to the privately-owned coach house at the Grange.

The pump is marked J Tylor & Sons No 2 Newgate St. The company was founded in 1778 by Joseph Tylor, who apparently started his working life selling pots and pans in London markets before becoming a brass manufacturer. Several generations of this wealthy Quaker family ran the foundry from 2 Newgate Street as J Tylor & Sons, until 1892 when it became J Tylor & Sons Ltd. We know therefore that this standpipe was made before 1892 and likely dates back to a time when Dr Gully lived at the Priory (1847-72) or immediately afterwards when Priory Lodge Hall was built by Alfred Miles Speer c.1874.

 

Photographs shows that, apart from the toilet extension on the north side, the building has changed little since those days.

Illustrations:
1. The Spout.

 

Footnotes:
See - History of Malvern Council Offices.

 

 

 

The map alongside is a small section of our more comprehensive map of the area. For the complete map together with a description and history of this site see "Celebrated Springs of the Malvern Hills" (2012).

 

Click on Website below or the top banner to go to the DISCOVERY TRAIL INDEX of springs and wells.

Celebrated Springs of 
THE MALVERN HILLS  

A definitive work that is the culmination of 20 years researching the springs and wells of the Malvern Hills, published by Phillimore. This is the ideal explorers guide enabling the reader to discover the location and often the astounding and long forgotten history of over 130 celebrated springs and wells sites around the Malvern Hills. The book is hard back with dust cover, large quarto size with lavish illustrations and extended text. Celebrated Springs contains about 200 illustrations and well researched text over a similar number of pages, together with seven area maps to guide the explorer to the locations around the Malvern Hills. It also includes details on the long history of bottling water in the Malvern Hills.

Written by Bruce Osborne and Cora Weaver, this book is available on-line for £15.00 (delivered UK) - click Malvern Bookshop on the green panel top left. Alternatively send a cheque payable to Cora Weaver with your name and address to 4 Hall Green, Malvern, Worcs. WR14 3QX.