1547–77: Creation and renaming Prior to the creation of the conduit, in 1547 the people of Norwich were granted access to a common lane which allowed them
right of access to Saint Lawrence's spring. This was under the condition that they gated the lane and kept this gate closed at night. Robert Gibson, a wealthy brewer and
Sheriff of Norwich, It was intended to bring water from Saint Lawrence's spring to the local population. Historian Brian Ayers has said that its construction may have been a display of Gybson's generosity to the people as well as his power over their basic needs, consolidating his own status as a man of influence. An inscription on the conduit reads:
1980–present: Movement and conservation Having initially faced south into Westwick Street, it was reset in a boundary wall during the 1980s, during the building of the Anchor Quay development, and now faces north into the development's central courtyard. It was then purchased from the
Crown Estate by the Norwich Preservation Trust using a grant from the
Norwich Society. It was restored from 2009 to 2011 by the Trust, with financial assistance from
English Heritage, the
John Jarrold Trust, the Paul Bassham Charitable Trust and
Norfolk County Council. This was the first restoration of a scheduled monument by the Trust, involving the repair of extensive
water damage and vandalism as well as detailed replication of the original paintwork. == References ==