Church's ancient wells

[Tealeaf]

Here's a little exercise that can be extended to Accy and any where else for that matter, but we'll start with Church because we had the most important one (sorry Accy,again). Everyone, of course, now takes piped water for granted, but of course most piped water did'nt start happening until the 1860's/70's, (which in itself allowed for the development of massed terrace housing of which we are familiar). Prior to that, of course, was the well and of these there were various sorts.

We, of course had a Holy Well in Church from the "Dark Ages" up to and probably beyond the reformation. This was a site of pilgrimage. A second - more orthodox well - was located at what is now the junction of Maden Street and Church Lane (some of you may remember the very old cottages that used to stand on the site, opposite the old Queens building).

I suspect a second well would have been located at the rear of the Stag and a third would have been located down near where the Bridge pub now stands....

Does anyone else know of where these ancient neccessities were located?

[staggeringman]

well(scuse the pun)there is one as you enter gatty park and veer left,head towards the private flats and i watched as workmen dug the founations for a new car park,they uncovered one there.

[WillowTheWhisp]

Now this could be interesting if we could (literally) unearth something like this as a historical focal point for the town. It's a shame we don't make more of our historical heritage.

[staggeringman]

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

Now this could be interesting if we could (literally) unearth something like this as a historical focal point for the town. It's a shame we don't make more of our historical heritage.

we do have king oswald of northumbrias well in the grounds of church kirk.

[WillowTheWhisp]

Would that be the 16th Century King Oswald of HBCweb fame?

[Doug]

Nice work Tealeaf, I was wondering if anyone knew of the whereabouts of any photographic or documentary evidence pertaining to these wells. I have distant memories of talk of a well at Church Kirk, but I have no recollection of ever seeing one.

[Doug]

As a follow up to this request anybody in possession of Old Maps or who may have reproduction maps of Church or Accrington and the surrounding areas who would be interested in identifying the grid refs of these well’s I would be grateful?

[staggeringman]

the parishioners of the church have tried to find the well but to no avail, they even got someone in with the divineing rods.you have to understand that us accywebbers cant all go up there with our spades and start digging even though we might find something.

[Acrylic-bob]

I read that the well was in the east wall of the churchyard. One would think that something that was once the object of pilgrimage would be pretty noticeable.

[Doug]

Originally Posted by staggeringman

the parishioners of the church have tried to find the well but to no avail, they even got someone in with the divineing rods.you have to understand that us accywebbers cant all go up there with our spades and start digging even though we might find something.

You come up there with a couple of crates of ale and I'm sure we could convince Mr T to join us with a spade or two. I have to say that I would have thought that it would lie outside the Church yard some where between the Thorn and ChurchKirkBridge.

The trouble with divining an area like a Church yard is that the ground becomes a little moist over the centuries of sticking dead people in it. The same reasoning outlines the fact that you wouldn’t want to draw water for a well that your old aunty as been seeping in to…..

[staggeringman]

Originally Posted by Doug

You come up there with a couple of crates of ale and I'm sure we could convince Mr T to join us with a spade or two. I have to say that I would have thought that it would lie outside the Church yard some where between the Thorn and ChurchKirkBridge.

The trouble with divining an area like a Church yard is that the ground becomes a little moist over the centuries of sticking dead people in it. The same reasoning outlines the fact that you wouldn’t want to draw water for a well that your old aunty as been seeping in to…..

tealeaf put a web site on somewere of rishton and i am almost sure they said about the situation of the well

[Doug]

Here you go staggers, I think this is the one. I'll have a pint.

Credit to Mr Tealeaf.

http://rishton.es6.net/web/History/...h/ponthalgh.htm

[staggeringman]

cheers doug but whan can we sneak up and have a dig,we could dress up as council workers but then again....no digging would get done......he...he..

[WillowTheWhisp]

It seems a shame that we can have lost contact with a holy well. About 20 years ago when I was in Ireland I was aquainted with a holy well which was basically just a soggy corner of a field with a bit of a railing round and a statue.

When I visted the area again 10 years later a local resident had revamped it in such a lovely way with a newly built stone wall around it. All done in his own spare time as a hobby. It looked really lovely.

[staggeringman]

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

It seems a shame that we can have lost contact with a holy well. About 20 years ago when I was in Ireland I was aquainted with a holy well which was basically just a soggy corner of a field with a bit of a railing round and a statue.

When I visted the area again 10 years later a local resident had revamped it in such a lovely way with a newly built stone wall around it. All done in his own spare time as a hobby. It looked really lovely.

willow have you ever been to holywell in north wales, it is a brill place to go for a dayout,we took our eldest there when she was a baby,they have a pool and dont know where the water comes from .so we dipped the baby in it was freezing..but touch wood..she hasnt had any ailments.