Found a Well

[harkerhill]

Hi all

Just preparing for UFH by removing the old concrete floor in my dining room and heard a solid clunk under the soil.

I scraped the soil back and found a large slab. Lifted the slab and found what looks like an old well.

I haven't got the guts at 11pm at night to start looking further so I've covered it back up for now.

I was thinking of keeping it on show as a feature, drop a couple of lights down and build the floor around it - has anyone else seen or had this done?

Any other ideas on what to do with it - would seem a great shame just to cover it up!

 

[Lime]

That indoor swimming pool that you always hoped for? :lol:

 

[miers]

I like the sound of making it into a feature, a bit like the museums where they put glass over the excavations underfoot and light them all up.

Or you could use it as a foot spa! :wink:
miers

 

[harkerhill]

I'm taking some pictures of it today....

I have vertigo and feel very odd and dizzy and strangely drawn to the well - it's an odd feeling, but should be posting some snapshots later

Just spoken to my electrician who said definately get some low voltage LED lights put inside it.

I quite fancy making the well functional too!

 

[miers]

Wells have that effect on me too - I remember almost falling down in the Louvre in Paris whenever I went near a well they had there (and I didn't know it was there the first time).

Actually, that's a thought - a little trip to Paris for some inspiration?

I'd love to see some pictures.

miers

 

[harkerhill]

Well well well, I don't think it is a well now.

Seems like it could be a rain water "bath". inside it's about 10 ft square about approx 20ft deep (I think).

I can see pipes that could be the incoming water supply, and a main overflow pipe (again, I assume!)

The water also doesn't smell at all, so must be fairly fresh.

It's only about 3 feet below the ground level that the water currently is.

I'll try to post piccies later tonight

 

[Nemesis]

Oh lucky you!


Pics would be great!

 

[Nemesis]

Have a read of this:

http://periodpropertyshop.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=6385

and be thankful:

http://www.lboro.ac.uk/well/resources/fact-sheets/fact-sheets-htm/drh.htm

 

[harkerhill]

Finally I have pics of the tank/well

http://picasaweb.google.com/dean.benson/WorkOnLoungeAndDiningRoom

It's only about 8 foot deep and about 8 foot x 5 foot wide inside.

I've been inside it and cleaned out all of the slurry. Just waiting for the rain water to refill it now.

I've decided to put a glass cover on the top and fibre optics lighting inside the well at the 4 corners to light up the feature. Not sure if anyone else has tried this before.

 

[Anne]

The inside the well picture looks as though the bricks are pointed in concrete which would mean it may not be all that old. Try an OS map maybe it might give you an idea what could have been there.

 

[Lime]

It's difficult to see the detail.
What struck me was what an odd place for a well/rainwater tank and that it isn't round.

 

[harkerhill]

It's difficult to see the detail.
What struck me was what an odd place for a well/rainwater tank and that it isn't round.

From what I know the dining room is an extension to the house (approx 100 years old) so it probably used to be outside.

 

[Mark]

Out of interest how does that location relate to wherever Maud thought the pump was?

 

[harkerhill]

Out of interest how does that location relate to wherever Maud thought the pump was?

I don't think that Maud remembered the tank in the dining room, she did remember a well in the kitchen, but that's the next room over.

 

[Penners]

Some friends of mine used to live in a large house in a village near Evesham. They had a large sump under their hall floor, very similar in shape and size to yours.

The advice they were given by their local historic buildings blokey was - whatever you do - don't mess about with it. Just let it fill and/or drain as it has always done, and enjoy it. You can take water out of it for the garden if you want to, but don't make any attempt to drain it permanently, or to fill in the sump (why would you?!).

The building is in equilibrium with it as it is.

Keeping it clean and making an illuminated feature of it sounds great.