This lead pipe was made to carry drinking water through Exeter's Underground Passages. You can see where the join was folded over to create a supposedly watertight seal. When the joints weakened, emergency repairs were made by using pieces of cloth soaked in animal rats. Unsurprisingly, this attracted rats! The lead pipes ran along the floor of the Cathedral Passage between 1346 and 1950... when they were stolen by builders, melted down and sold. This piece of lead pipe is the only piece left behind. It is displayed next to the wider cast iron pipe that was laid in the City Passage in the 1800s. The pipe belongs to Exeter City Council, who own and operate the Underground Passages, and all the artefacts within.
Pipe
Contributed by Underground Passages in Exeter
Most of the content on A History of the World is created by the contributors, who are the museums and members of the public. The views expressed are theirs and unless specifically stated are not those of the Ö÷²¥´óÐã or the British Museum. The Ö÷²¥´óÐã is not responsible for the content of any external sites referenced. In the event that you consider anything on this page to be in breach of the site’s House Rules please Flag This Object.
About this object
Click a button to explore other objects in the timeline
- Location
- Culture
- Period
- Theme
- Size
- Material
View more objects from people in Devon.
Find out more
Podcast
Highlights from the collection
Ö÷²¥´óÐã iD
Ö÷²¥´óÐã navigation
Ö÷²¥´óÐã links
Ö÷²¥´óÐã © 2014 The Ö÷²¥´óÐã is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more.
This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.
Share this link: