Hallbank Well sits on the hillside under the old
Manor House ruin near High Street. Believed to be medieval
in origin, this well would have supplied the Manor House and
the satellite community of old 'Anbelle'. Perhaps the well
also supplied fresh water to ships entering the Coquet as
this was a stopping point for tolls, and most of the lower
lying waters of the Coquet would be salt contaminated.
The 'Well' in its present form consists of a post 18th
century brick vaulted reservoir, approximately 6
metres by 3 metres, with the long axis aligned east west at
the foot of the bank upon which the Manor house ruin stands.
A small square dressed sandstone access way facing east also
serves as the discharge point, the spring itself
feeding into the reservoir. The whole structure apart from
the access is buried into the hillside. The runoff drains
through an open culvert for a few metres before emptying
into a modern drain. Discharge was quite respectable on our
visit (April), but we are unsure if the feed aquifer
exhibits any seasonal variation. |