Wells - Often much older than we realise

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Many properties enjoy the good fortune of owning a well. Wells are often very old, dating back to the Roman period or even earlier. In those days, wells were of course dug by hand and so was a very labour intensive task involving several men and often taking many months to complete.
Accordingly, wells were regarded very highly as they were laborious and very time consuming to dig, and usually provided water not just to one or two households, but to entire communities.
They were handed down from generation to generation, maintained and kept in good and reliable condition. Clean and reliable sources of water were often the cause of many battles.

Virtually all rural and many non-rural properties more than 80 years old have a well, somewhere.
The chances are, that when you acquired the property, any well which would have been there has probably been covered over or hidden, and so it may not be immediately obvious where it is.
Bear in mind that before the 1950s, no municipal water authorities in the UK provided city water to rural areas, so if you live out in the sticks, there�s a very good chance that you have a well hiding or covered on your property.

Dowsing and looking at historical maps of the area will usually identify its location.
Even if your property is of modest size, the chance are you can save a lot of money by drawing your own water instead of buying it from your local water provider.And if youre a dairy farmer, even if you only have a few head, utilising a private water supply could save you � thousands each year.

If you have a well on your property it will probably still yield a supply which you can tap into. Rather than using a bucket, winch and rope in times bygone, you can pump it in the same way as a bore.

If you have an old well on your land, this may prove to be a very valuable asset and may dispense with the need to drill a bore altogether. If the well is very old, the chances are that the British Geological Survey already know about it.

South Coast Water can perform searches of records held by the British Geological Survey to gather facts and vital stats about your area, and the likely presence of a well. This data will help us to determine any well's sustainability and suitability for your purposes.

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