A quirky façade detail with a rich history
Just north of Christchurch gate at Canterbury Cathedral there is an inconspicuous junction between Sun Street, Guildhall Street, Orange Street and Palace Street. This Space is a bustling area for a mix of users and sees home to a myriad of shops and restaurants that mark the start of the King’s Mile.
However the proportions of this junction appear to emulate that of a forum and not a transient space for connection. It almost appears to be out of place with such a deliberate perforation of the urban grain. Especially being so close to the market forum of the old butter market.
After falling down the research rabbit hole, information about the neighbouring building of no.1 Palace Street shed a bit more light on what this area of Canterbury was used for.
No.1 Palace Street was formerly in use as a processing workshop for leather and subsequently rushes (a material predecessor to modern day carpets). There was reference that this confluence of streets operated as a rush market for local people to buy the business’s product.
“The Rush Market, where rushes were sold, was held at the Red Well; a red pump as a sign on a house in Palace Street still indicates the locality. The demand for rushes arose from the almost universal practice of strewing them upon the floors of houses before the use of carpets became general”
However, looking at modern photographs and even walking by this space which is now occupied by what I am going to describe as a ‘spiritual’ retailer. You will notice that there is an attachment to the front facade of this building which adds to the quirky nature of the current retailer and a further unique element to the building’s facade; however this red water pump has little to do with the building’s current occupation, or its historical ownership.
Since this quirky facade detail is so easily overlooked, it in no doubt leaves the few that spot it asking themselves, why is it here?
Well, the information is seemingly sparse on specifics however a map from 1768 by Andrews and Wren shows the presence of a pump at the centre of this intersection.
A plan of the city of Canterbury : survey’d by Jn.o Andrews & Mat. Wren
London : printed & sold by A. Dury in Dukes court St. Martins lane & W. Herbert no. 27. in Goulston square White Chapel, 1768
I thought that I should include an interesting digression from this article. This intersection was formerly called The Dancing School Yard as this junction marked the entrance to the site of Canterbury’s Theatre.
A. Dury, W. Herbert, (1769) A topographical-map, of the county of Kent,
The map also highlights that this area is almost unrecognisable today as this area of land and the surrounding buildings used to form the mansion and residency to that of Sir Thomas More, Lord Chancellor of England during the reign of King Henry VIII. who was subsequently dragged to the site of the red pump and publicly beheaded as he did not recognise the legitimacy of King Henry VIII’s reign, henceforth denying his supremacy.
Sir More’s estate was largely demolished however parts still remain
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The presence of a well in this area appears to be well documented as a central fixture to the urban landscape of the expanding mediaeval city. The presence of this well, being documented by a Roman milestone, suggests that this pump had been a long established fixture within Canterbury.
Canterbury appears to have been well supplied with springs, a factor which may have lead to its adoption as a settlement from prehistoric times. This, together with Canterbury’s considerable importance as a pilgrimage goal through the middle ages, has also not surprisingly resulted in a number of noted cult and religious watering holes being exploited.
The most famous of which was one such spring located under the Cathedral. Reportedly being sourced where the choir now stands within the cathedral grounds. However a stone cap in the Crypt suggests this is the more likely origin.
St. Thomas’s Shrine was associated with a healing spring. Even before his martyrdom the site was a popular pilgrimage destination due to the healing properties of the water from the iron rich chalybeate springs which run under Canterbury.
The stone cap of the old well which supplied the spring for Thomas Beckett’s Shrine in the Crypt of Canterbury Cathedral.
This Spring became a notable revenue stream for the cathedral, however in 1538, during England’s reformation, Lord Cromwell put a stop to pilgrimages to Canterbury and The King’s Commission destroyed Beckett’s Shrine shortly thereafter, due to this, the well was consequently lost.
However, outside the cathedral, the nearby “Red Well” became an unofficial affiliation to the holy spring’s healing waters. As such it was said that the pump for this nearby well was painted red as a memorial to the saint’s death after the martyrdom.
The affiliation to the Shrine of St Thomas Beckett affirmed the use of the name “Red Well” or “Red Pump Well”. However the use of this name had been around for a much longer time, as the local story states that it sometimes produced red coloured water. Whilst this was conveniently linked to the martyrdom of Thomas Beckett, the area is well-known for its chalybeate springs, as such, the iron rich waters may provide a more plausible explanation.
Regardless of which version you choose to believe, the pump’s alluring colour choice is a fitting emulation of its physical context and the legend of Canterbury.
Despite the well’s definitive use and importance within Canterbury’s development. An ordinance from 1825 was passed that allowed improvement works to be carried out to pave over the roads leading up to the Archbishop’s Palace.
This enabling act for the commissioners of the pavement of the city of Canterbury may have included the removal of the water pump as the roads of Palace Street, Northgate and the borough of Staple gate (Orange street up to Westgate) were realigned.
It was not until 1870 when it was documented that the Red pump was presumably removed as it was discovered that this pump was sitting on top of a piece of ancient history.
Citing an entry from village pumps.org
“and in April, 1870, a well, no doubt the “Old Red Pump Well,” was discovered in the middle of Palace Street, opposite Mr. Mummery’s. (1no. Palace Street) It was 4 feet wide, and compactly made of flint work – a very ancient well.”
This was an interesting piece of history, especially due to the rarity of surviving wells dating back to this time. Additionally the red pump ties into the context of the Stour catchment area and documentation of the old roman baths at Northgate. This goes to show that the red pump is but one of the many facets of Canterbury’s inherited infrastructure and gives an amazing glimpse into how this city is shaped into the place that we see today.
Although no longer in use, the Red Pump remains as a subtle reminder to this city’s long standing relationship to its natural environment and how water has played a pivotal part in shaping the physical development of the city and its people.
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Canterbury: The borough of Stablegate | British History Online (british-history.ac.uk)
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