| 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. |
