A water well is classed as an excavation or structure created in the ground by digging, driving, boring, or drilling to access water in underground aquifers. The water is typically drawn up by a pump, this could be submerged inside the water well or mounted at ground level providing the water is in suction depth.

Wells can vary greatly in depth, water volume, and water quality. Typically a well is of brick construction approximately 3feet 6 inch’s wide. Compare this to a bore hole that will be 4” to 10” diameter and made from steel or PVC.

Virtually all rural properties pre 2nd world war will have an old well somewhere. If its not visible then the chances are that over the years the well could have been hidden by boards, sheet steel or a  concrete capping so it may not be immediately obvious where it is.

Looking at the archives from the BGS could help us identify its location and may even tell us how much it used to yield and quality of the water.

If you have a well on your property it will probably still yield a supply which could be used in the summer for irrigation or water for animals, washing down yards, pond filling, lake topping, swimming pool filling anything that you currently do with the mains water but at a fraction of the cost.