Clitheroe Town Wells Conservation Campaign
Our aim: To secure a meaningful and lasting future for all three of Clitheroe's ancient former public town wells.
Your Town Wells Need You!
Clitheroe Town Wells Conservation Campaign has challenged Ribble Valley Borough Council to be responsible for all three of Clitheroe's ancient spring well sites. From around 2016 they ceased to look after the wells thus condemning them to decline with the future possibility they would be paved over. They are now in a state of dereliction, sad for the oldest sites in Clitheroe. But we're going to do something about it!
This Campaign’s sole aim is to secure a meaningful and lasting future for all three wells. With your support and the backing of other societies combined with the help of our Ribble Valley and Town councillors -
we're going to save them!
Read more below...
The Three Wells
A brief desciption of the history of each well.
St Mary’s Well,
Well Terrace
The name ‘St Mary’s suggests this was a Holy Well, and it possibly dates from medieval times. It is at the top of Well Terrace. There are two stepped entrances opposite each other down into the well. A stone gangway splits the well into two unequal halves. In the central part of the larger pool area stands a very worn cube shaped stone. This looks like it was used for washing clothes. The top stones on the wall by the entrances are also very worn, presumably from generations of people steadying themselves on entering and exiting the well.
Heald Well (or Town Well), Wellgate
Heald Well is also called The Town’s Well. The unusual term Heald is thought to derive from the fact that it once had a roof on top. It is the largest of the three wells and was first recorded in 1634. Some of the big stone slabs that make up parts of the walls are held together with metal staples. As well as the steps going down into the pool area, at one entrance there are two sets of steps going ‘up’. These resemble horse mounting blocks, but whether they are or not is unclear – perhaps they are connected with the pub which dates from the 1700s and which used to be called The Dog and Partridge.
Both St Mary’s and Heald Wells bear a metal plaque on them which states “This well was one of the three public wells which formed the water supply of the borough until the establishment of the waterworks on Grindleton Fell in 1854.
Stock Well,
Parsons Lane
Stock Well is just off Parsons Lane, but the easiest way to find it is to approach it through Clitheroe Castle grounds. It gets its name from the town stocks, which are built into it. These were probably put here after their removal from the market square. The nearby plaque states “The smallest of the three borough wells used until water was supplied in 1856. It is first recorded in 1645. The well was sealed in 1880 after two children narrowly escaped drowning. This well only has one entrance (where the stocks are located) and does not have the the big tall and thick retaining walls of the two other wells, nor does it have steps down to a flagged area.
Here's a list of links to further information about Clitheroe and the history of the wells.
Additional information & links to other sites
Watch "Water from the Well" a film by Steve Ragnall
Andy Bowes's book "Reflections on the Water" tells the story of the Clitheroe Wells... and so much more.
Available from Clitheroe Library.
Gallery
If you have any photos we can use then please send them to us!
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Notices, Meetings,
Agendas & Minutes.
This website is dedicated to the memory of
Ribble Valley Borough Councillor,
William (Bill) Holden,
an active and creative supporter of this Campaign, and all things ‘Clitheroe’.