Trying to find a well...... Again.....

[AMc]

Our well was buried under a thin concrete screed, over floorbricks laid over a probably limecrete screed with a huge cast iron grid over the top. The grid is a 3 man lift. It must have been supporting a hell of a lot of weight.
My structural engineer took a look and cursed that he would need to redo the spec of the floor screed to correct for a new fixed point between two walls we'd previously confirmed had deep foundations. He never mentioned it was at any risk of collapsing, nor did he want any inspections or confirmation of it - building control were also unperturbed. Perhaps the fact that the well wasn't filled affected their attitudes?

FWIW - when we were sorting out the drains to account for a longer soil run I spent a merry afternoon playing hunt the pipe under our patio. The retired builder employed to lay out and check levels on drainage took a long hard look at the patio and said - "I reckon there'll be an inspection cover under that slab". Took my rubber mallet and gave it a gentle thump - hollow - all the ones around it - solid. We lifted one slab and found what we were after.

Might be worth a bit of drive thumping - I would imagine a filled well will sound less hollow than a capped one?

 

[Penners]

Yes, but they're already fully occupied up the chimney.

A trip down a well will clean them up nicely then! How is the little Eggwood, he must almost be big enough for productive work now?

Hang on - I'll just call up the chimney to ask him....

 

[Onetap]

I am impressed that you appear to know how stable my well is going to be on the inside and that i will definitely need further supports inside once it is open (it may not even be back filled), even before we have actually seen it.

You should read what was written, rather than going off on one on the basis of what you think was written.

What I wrote was that;
1) Wells are often to be found marked on maps;
2) It's likely it has been infilled and the filling has settled (causing the subsidence, since a failed cap would more probably have collapsed into the shaft);
3) The infill (if any) will be lending support to the walls of the well.

What you wrote was;

Would i be wrong to assume that back-filling might have actually helped to preserve the brick structure and support it?

SFAIK, the well shafts were usually constructed from stone rubble, supported on iron spikes driven into the wall as the shaft was dug. It is likely that what you uncover will resemble a circular dry-stone shaft, with open vertical joints, rather than a subterranean Fred Dibnah chimney-type structure.

You didn't address the technical queries I raised.

If you intend removing any infill, without hand digging, then would it not be cheaper to drill a borehole, giving you a deeper and more reliable water supply?

If you dig a hole, more than a few feet deep, you'd have to use shoring or risk it collapsing. Assuming you could remove the infill (if any), then how could you establish that the well structure was sound without getting a member of the RICS to climb down a ladder? If its stability is dubious, then would you infill it or fit permanent shoring, thus hiding the structure you've uncovered?

Also, would you inform your building insurers or martgage providers (if any) before starting this?

I asked my earlier question because there are obviously people on this forum who have actually got experience in opening up their own water wells (capped, back-filled etc...) and might be able to contribute and share their experiences, rather than just pointed opinions.

Which is what you got. I'm so sorry you didn't like it.

 

[angrybird]

Well.... today was well hunting day,I was armed with my diving rods ( 2 metal coat hangers cut to size) and walked up and down the garden ,with Mr Angry looking up now and again from his window making, muttering "what a bl**dy waste of time that is"!Ignoring Mr Mumbles I found a large slab of concrete (Not with my diving rods!) looks suspisciously like a well cap,so tomorrow armed with a pick axe and my marigolds, i'm going to lift it if its the well i'm hoping to find all is well and if its a large hole I will suggest that Mr Angry lies down in it and tries it for size :lol:
TBC...

 

[Flyfisher]

. . . ,with Mr Angry looking up now and again from his window making, muttering "what a bl**dy waste of time that is"!

Perhaps because he thought you might have more success using divining or dowsing rods . . . :wink:

 

[Penners]

I was armed with my diving rods

At the risk of being a killjoy, I really wouldn't recommend diving rods for use with wells. If you must dive in, I suggest that climbing-out rods would be more useful.

But first, of course, you'll need to find the well with your divining rods. :wink:

 

[angrybird]

ohhh silly me, I do wish I had spell checker
must be too much linseed oil causing my slippyfingeritis :lol:

 

[angrybird]

omg I not only went "diving" once but twice in my post

 

[Penners]

There's nothing wrong with diving. It's just not a good idea in wells. :wink:

 

[robgil]

Guys seriousley, if you have wells that have been backfilled I would leave them backfilled. If you want an off grid water supply get a bore hole sorted.

If you do dig out an old well what purpose will it serve? Will you be drinking from it? I wouldnt. So you are basically creating a potential disaster area for no real reason?

I found an old well under a 16th century cottage in Cambridge last year. It was filled in. The house was grade 11 listed. It was lovely, it had an arch and steps leading down underneath the house. The owners and the conservation officer at the time both agreed to leave it filled in and allowed me to put a sand stone patio over the top of it.

Once you uncover and dig out a well there will be all sorts of things to consider such as maintenance, insurance (in case it collapses or a young child falls down it) etc. Not worth the hassel if you ask me.

 

[angrybird]

There's nothing wrong with diving. It's just not a good idea in wells. :wink:

I knew there was a reason for my bad spelling

 

[Penners]

:lol: :lol: :lol:
Thetroublewithaspacebarlikethatisthatyouwon'twanttogetyourfingerssticky.

Stillnoexcuseforbadspellingthough!

 

[LadyArowana]

Resurrecting this thread and putting it back on topic. Wells can turn up almost anywhere...

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepag...-Couple-find-giant-hole-under-their-sofa.html

 

[Flyfisher]

:shock:
I don't think I'd reclaim a 33-foot well . . . not by digging it out by hand anyway!

 

[LadyArowana]

:shock:
I don't think I'd reclaim a 33-foot well . . . not by digging it out by hand anyway!

The wife obviously has the same opinion ... Vanessa, however, said: “I hate the well. When we come to sell the house I just hope it’s not a white elephant in the room.” which seems a little unfair to elephants!

 

[Onetap]

:shock:
I don't think I'd reclaim a 33-foot well . . . not by digging it out by hand anyway!

He isn't digging it out; he's using a young lad.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-19421332

Are the World Freestyle Stupidity Championships being held in Plymouth this year, or is this NFP (Normal for Plymouth)?

He dug a couple of bombs up last week

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-19358786

 

[Lindyboo]

We found a well during garden excavations earlier this year. Our nearest neighbour who used to own the property many years back said it was the house’s only water supply until the mid 80s when mains water was installed. As far as can be determined it’s a huge metal container – presumably either copper or stainless steel – about 10ft diameter and at least 10ft deep. It’s topped with a brick cupola and has an aperture in the top about 2ft dia. The bricks are very old so perhaps the metal receptacle was installed in modern times and finished with old bricks, but I’m guessing at that. The well now serves as a soakaway for the run-off from roof – the water can be heard running into it.

When/if the garden landscaping project (see my other post) gets going I want to make a feature of the well and if possible make use of it to water the garden. Anyone else got something similar and made a feature of it? And has anyone else got a metal tank installed in this way?

 

[Flyfisher]

He dug a couple of bombs up last week

Well spotted - I saw the mortar story but didn't spot it was the same person as the well (assuming there are not two Colin Steer's in Plymouth!).

The well report wasn't entirely clear, but it did seem like it was 'young Jake from down the road' doing the digging, which I think it a bit disgracefully really, but perhaps it is NFP as you suggested. :lol:

 

[FamilyWiggs]

He dug a couple of bombs up last week

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-19358786

There's a lot of it about...

http://leaderlive.co.uk/news/115759/bomb-squad-clear-missiles-from-couple-s-ruabon-garden.aspx

What a find Lindyboo. I'm still trying to find the house well here without success. I have found a W on some maps from the turn of the last century, but they're in the corner of a field further down the hill. Probably for animals, but seemingly too far from the house for domestic use.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Definitely make a feature of it if you can!

Just to answer robgil's point:
Cost of making well water safe to drink (provided it really is a well and not a soakaway) =£500
Cost of borehole = £6k-12K and no guarantee there'll always be water there

We love our well which provides all our water for drinking, cooking, livestock, dishwasher, washing machine. Especially this year. I can't drink mains water anymore, it makes me ill.