Winter Hill Water System Wells

Many exposed sections of tunnel are close to stone built ‘wells’. Many of the wells higher up the hill are now filled in or lost probably due to natural occurances. Although designated as wells on the OS maps and having the characteristics of a familiar ‘wishing well’ we believe the structures to be a primitive but effective valve system. Observable ripples in the water indicate an inflow of water, while an outflow pipe can be seen higher up. This could be to regulate water outflow volume due to fluctuations in the local water table. It is not known whether the wells contain a second outflow conduit below the water level that would indicate a regulatory purpose or whether the water level represents the actual water table in which case the wells could have been used pressurise the water in a similar way to an artesian well. It should be noted that all reservoirs function in a similar manner but their regulatory aspects are governed by sluices and overflows rather than the natural state of the water table. In fact wells are often located near natural springs. Many of the wells higher on Winter Hill seem to have been constructed with a stone built dome or beehive cap. These characteristic structures have a two piece circular keystone. These stones are easily found lying close to several of the collapsed well structures. No domed wells are found intact on Winter Hill although there are several suspect areas where domes appear to be below ground level with their tops just above ground. Two very similar and fully intact structures can be found in a field near Chorley reservoir in Anglezarke that may be contemporary.

Created: 27  November  2016  Edited: 29  November  2023