The Wells of Heswall

Over the years there has been much debate as to the origins of the name Heswall. Many suggestions have been made and Heswall has had different names in the past. However, whatever the reason for the name, we do know that Heswall or Eswelle has had many wells. Our native sandstone is soft and easy to fracture to make wells. The village had very little running water and the wells which were recorded were all near clusters of farms and cottages.

Of the many wells that existed in the area, few can be seen today but they were good sources of water in their time for men and beasts alike.

The site of Penns or Prense Well can be found in Telegraph Road  under the railings round the tree outside the block of shops that includes Linghams. The cottages, which once stood where the shops are now, shared the same name. It seems to be one of the main wells for the top village; one wonders how far people travelled for their water.

Pipers Well  at the end of Pipers Lane, to which it gave its name, was, according to an article in the Cheshire Sheaf of 1935, situated in a spot a little to the SW of the Dungeons and about midway between Pipers  Lane and the footpath leading from Oldfield to Thurstaston.

Wallrake/Hessle Well   A  plaque on the site of this well can still be seen in The Wallrake in the wall of Hesslewell House, commemorating the closure of the well in 1891. In the dry season there were 15 steps down to the water level. W H Edwards, who wrote much about Heswall in the early 20^th century, said that at certain times in the year water overflowed from the well and streamed ran down to the then Village square, where The Wallrake meets Station Road, making a fine pool for ducks and children to dabble in. Horses, after a days work in the fields, were sent to this well from farms in the village on their own and would always return home still alone for their nightly feed.

The Pin Well/Gayton This is situated on the ancient route from Chester and Parkgate linking the riverside settlements. Walking past the cobblestones on Gayton Farm Road this well can be found between there and an entrance to the Golf Course. It was nicknamed the Pin Well as it was said that you could make a wish while dropping a pin in the well. King William’s horses are said to have drunk from this well on his visit to Gayton Hall. (See Chairman’s letter).

Grange Well /Lightfoot Well known as Lightfoots Well, after  the farmer who lived nearby in Quarry Road East, is on the short footpath that leads from Grange Road to Irby Road about halfway along on the right approaching from Grange Road. There were only a few farms and cottages in this area along with the Grange, now Grange Nursing home and Highgate, another large house which stood where Highgate Close now is. Another well nearby is indicated on the map of 1912 off Irby road where Quarry Close now stands.

Rosebank Well was to be found in School Hill on the site of a house called Rosebank, later the Hermitage.

Bank House Well another well indicated on the 1912 Ordnance Survey map, is in Thurstaston Road on the site of the then Bank House. Later this became Broomlands school which I attended. The main part of the house was demolished and the houses built on the site are still known as Broomlands. As with most wells it will have long been capped.

Far Well This was situated in Well Lane, presumably giving the Lane its name, and was in the grounds of the now Well House.

Many individual houses had their own wells, for example the one under the kitchen of Wellwood House in Village Road and I have been told of others in Thurstaston Road, Dee View Road, Sandon Terrace, Milner Road, Sandy Lane and Dawstone Road. There were probably many more and I would be very interested to hear of more hidden wells of Heswall.

You can write to me care of: mike@heswall.com

Jenny McRonald Sept. 2008