Historic Graffiti at the Standard Conduit House
Tucked away in a corner of Greenwich Park close to Crooms Hill is the Standard Conduit House. Designed by celebrated architect Nicholas Hawksmoor, this building marks the location of a reservoir. Fed by the historic underground waterways in Greenwich Park, it once supplied water to Greenwich Hospital – the home for retired sailors now known as the Old Royal Naval College.
Leaving a trace
The chapel-like conduit house has an intriguing feature. Carved into its brickwork is a range of historic graffiti. A close inspection reveals a series of initials and dates carved into its outer walls – some dating all the way back to the 1700s!
The graffiti can be seen at the back of the Conduit House. The following images will help you to find it.
-
Left: ‘R.E., 1784 | Right: F. [E.?], 1791 -
-
Left: ‘R.E., 1784 | Right: F. [E.?], 1791 © Helen Wallis Greenwich Park -
© Helen Wallis Greenwich Park
In at least two places, dates from the 1700s can still just be made out, accompanied by initials. An ‘R.E.’ left their mark in ‘1784’ and the remains of some looping letters – perhaps ‘F. E.’ are accompanied by ‘1791’.
Who might these people have been? They could have been revellers at the infamous Greenwich Fair, a raucous event that saw thousands of Londoners flock to the park twice a year. Perhaps they were retired sailors who lived at Greenwich Hospital? Could they have been well-connected visitors from overseas who were granted access to the park?
-
Left: ‘1836’ | Right: ‘Ed [Abbreviation for Edward?] Ware, 1920’ -
-
Left: ‘1836’ | Right: ‘Ed [Abbreviation for Edward?] Ware, 1920’ © Helen Wallis Greenwich Park -
© Helen Wallis Greenwich Park
Later examples of graffiti can also be spotted. The year ‘1836’ is still clear, while an ‘Edward’ carved his name in careful capital letters in ‘1920’. Could he have been a veteran of the First World War? A naughty local schoolboy? A local on their daily walk?
Of course we will most likely never know who left this graffiti, but these carefully carved letters connect us to the past. They are a reminder that Greenwich Park has welcomed visitors for hundreds of years, making us think of the Georgians, the Victorians, the wartime Londoners who all knew and loved this place. We are just the latest chapter in its story.
Today the Conduit House is a Grade II* listed structure. Please do not be tempted to add your own graffiti to its walls – this is of course against park regulations! Please help us protect this important building so that future generations can enjoy it too. Thank you.
Related Articles
-
ReadConduits in Greenwich Park
Read about Greenwich Park's historic underground water system.
-
ReadCharles Dickens at Greenwich Park
Over the centuries, many famous writers have found inspiration at Greenwich Park. Perhaps the most celebrated is Charles Dickens (1812-1870).
-
ReadThen and now: celebrating Greenwich Park Revealed
Check out our gallery of then and now photos to see the how Greenwich Park Revealed has restored the park's unique 17th-century landscape.
