Market Place with Old Conduit, Wells

Medium: Steel engraving

Artist: W. Alexander

Engraver: James Redaway

Dated: c. 1830

Price: £65.00

This vibrant, hand-colored steel engraving from 1830 presents a lively view of the historic heart of Wells, Somerset. The plate originally appeared in John Britton’s prestigious topographical publication, ⁠Picturesque Antiquities of the English Cities and presents a highly coordinated artistic collaboration, engraved by James Redaway from an amended drawing by renowned watercolorist Samuel Prout, which was in turn based on an original sketch by topographer William Alexander.

Architecturally, the scene is anchored on the left by the towering, highly decorated Bishop Bekynton Conduit, built around 1451. Bishop Thomas Bekynton granted the citizens of Wells a perpetual fresh water supply from St. Andrew’s Well [THE OLD CONDUIT], and this Gothic structure served as the market’s main water source for centuries. Standing prominently in the background is The Penniless Porch, the iconic 15th-century gateway leading into the cathedral close, flanked by rows of historic timber-framed and stone market buildings. Rising majestically above the urban skyline are the medieval towers of Wells Cathedral.

The print captures the bustle of a typical Victorian market day. Townspeople converse near wooden barrels, vendor stalls display freshly harvested produce, and pack animals move through the square. The composition brilliantly balances the soaring, geometric lines of ecclesiastical Gothic architecture with the intimate, messy scale of daily commerce. This piece is exceptionally prized by collectors of Somerset topography, medieval English architecture, and fine 19th-century urban view plates.