Found a well…

[ANDARIAL]

Shoved a 28ft drain rod down it and it didn’t touch the bottom . that’s why I said _at least_ an extra 28ft - I don’t actually know how deep the pipe goes… we are quite close to the coast so I doubt it’s that far, but there is apparently an underground river somewhere round here - might be tapping in to that.

Thanks for explaining it

 

[Blackjack Davy]

I wonder when it was built/dug, its brick lined and bricks were an expensive commodity until the 19c when industrial methods meant they could be mass produced they're unlikely to have been used for something as utilitarian as a well before they're also very regular almost machine made so again probably no earlier than say mid victorian era. Very interesting.

 

[nox_uk]

No clue, but I don’t think it’s that old. There was a windmill round here a couple of hundred years ago, it’s possible something to do with that. The area was quite ‘rich’ back then, being the supplier of oysters to most of southern England (until they poisoned a load of important folks…) Also that hole at the bottom I reckon must have been machine dug, somehow. It’s not wide enough for a shovel.

 

[nox_uk]

on a different tack , have you decided what your going to do with it ..apart from i presume putting some form of cover over it to stop folk falling into it?

Mostly, we will build it up to ground level with brick, and then plan to put a more traditional style ‘garden well top’ on it. Then it will depend on water quality. Either just for gardening, or maybe plumbing in to the house if it’s clean enough. It’s not n a great position for that though…

 

[Gav_r26]

It’s not wide enough for a shovel.

would have been a bloody long shovel at >28ft too!!

 

[nox_uk]

Lol, very true

 

[Blackjack Davy]

Whats the width of it? Pretty sure I've seen narrower ones than that that must have been hand dug.

would have been a bloody long shovel at >28ft too!!

You use a ladder...

 

[ODuffer]

Not sure how deep your well is but watch out for oxygen levels

 

[Gav_r26]

Also that hole at the bottom I reckon must have been machine dug, somehow. It’s not wide enough for a shovel.

Whats the width of it? Pretty sure I've seen narrower ones than that that must have been hand dug. You use a ladder...

If a shovel isn't fitting then its a bloody narrow ladder!

 

[Yaayuh!]

Also that hole at the bottom I reckon must have been machine dug, somehow. It’s not wide enough for a shovel.

Post hole diggers, mattocks, small/hand shovels and bucket on a pulley, maybe?

 

[Gav_r26]

Post hole diggers, mattocks, small/hand shovels and bucket on a pulley, maybe?

I think @nox_uk was referring to the additional hole that continues from the bottom of the well for a further depth of 28ft, not the main well.

 

[nox_uk]

Yeah, it’s about 3” across, old ceramic pipe. Two ‘regular’ bricks cover it.

 

[roadie]

love the recent updates. It will be interesting to see how much it rises once the pump is removed and the resultant water quality.

 

[arknor]

Not an ancient wishing well full of gold coins then, shame

 

[Charlie Bravo]

Having just seen a video on Facebook about someone finding a well under their kitchen floor, it reminded me of this post.

Any further updates at all? @nox_uk

 

[aVdub]

Great read.

As @ODuffer said above - Be aware of Oxygen levels and the like. I've done some work underground and we would start testing at 6m in some area's.
If you get to the bottom, it may be worth asking a local detectorist to run over the spoil for coins and the like, which may give you a rough age of the well.
Does the well appear on any olde maps?
Any graffiti on the bricks?

​

 

[danlightbulb]

Would be great to get an update from the op on this.

The small borehole in the bottom will have been drilled. To completely clear it you would have to either redrill it or pump water in under pressure to try and flush out the crud.

 

[gingergundog]

Great read.

As @ODuffer said above - Be aware of Oxygen levels and the like. I've done some work underground and we would start testing at 6m in some area's.
If you get to the bottom, it may be worth asking a local detectorist to run over the spoil for coins and the like, which may give you a rough age of the well.
Does the well appear on any olde maps?
Any graffiti on the bricks?

​

 

[NickK]

The Woodingdean one in brighton is insane. Looks so innocuous but it’s a crazy 1,290 foot deep. Deeper than the Empire State Building is tall

Get a ROV sub and see what’s down there

 

[CaPtBlaCk]

Having just seen a video on Facebook about someone finding a well under their kitchen floor, it reminded me of this post.

Any further updates at all? @nox_uk

Saw that, very interesting.

Need an update on this one......