The Old Dog in School Road, Kidlington is a significant Grade 2 listed building with a number of important archaeological and historic features.
Cherwell Community Archaeology undertook the recording of a number of these in 2021.
Cherwell Community Archaeology undertook the recording of a number of these in 2021.
Recording an Historic Water Well at the Old Dog
Water wells are frequently found associated with houses built before the advent of "modern" mains water supplies. Access to a dependable and clean water source often influenced the siting not only of individual houses, but of whole communities. Often overlooked, wells provide evidence of habitation as well as preserving information about house plot locations, orientations and boundaries. Many have been lost, either by later construction when they were filled-in, or by neglect.
The old county series 25 inch to the mile OS maps (late 1800's to early 1900's) document the location of many of these "lost" wells. The importance of these structures is recognised by English Heritage, which holds a record of all known historic wells.
Within the garden of the Old Dog, a previously unrecorded well was noted. It was subsequently investigated by CCA and the information added to the English Heritage database.
Water wells are frequently found associated with houses built before the advent of "modern" mains water supplies. Access to a dependable and clean water source often influenced the siting not only of individual houses, but of whole communities. Often overlooked, wells provide evidence of habitation as well as preserving information about house plot locations, orientations and boundaries. Many have been lost, either by later construction when they were filled-in, or by neglect.
The old county series 25 inch to the mile OS maps (late 1800's to early 1900's) document the location of many of these "lost" wells. The importance of these structures is recognised by English Heritage, which holds a record of all known historic wells.
Within the garden of the Old Dog, a previously unrecorded well was noted. It was subsequently investigated by CCA and the information added to the English Heritage database.
A Water Well in the garden of The Old Dog
Reference: CCAWell2
Information:
Land/house owner (29th May 2021) Mrs J Smith
Location: The Old Dog, School Road, Kidlington, Oxon
Date of investigation: 29th May 2021, Weather: Fine
Recorders. Tony Prothero and Chris Turley members of Cherwell Community Archaeology
GPS 51° 49'28n x 1°17'1w Elevation: 60 Metres
Written description:
The well is right of the footpath leading to the house and is bordered within a dry stone perimeter wall. The well has a 0.65Mtr. Lime stone wall around it in a horse shoe shape.
The top has a square wooden lid with a metal handle and hinge.
Looking into the well with a torch we observed square concrete type blocks bordering the well on three sides from 0.65Mtr (below the wall). There was a modern pipe descending below the water line which the owner told us was installed by him to connect water to the garden feature, pump (modern) beside the well (see plan). The fourth side of the well appeared to disappear into a tunnel below a stone lined side over a 'mouth' with water. Water was at (1.76Mtrs minus the 0.65 wall) 1.11Mtrs.
We speculated that the well had been extended into the perimeter of the garden at some time in the past. We found the depth of the well was 6 Metres (including 0.65 for wall).
Location plan of the well in the garden of "The Old Dog"