Sermons in stones, Books in the running brooks, And, as always where these studies are pursued- DISCOVERY OF A SUPPOSED BURIED WELL, OR IN the month of August, 1891, owing to the continued dry weather, the spring of water ceased to supply the hydraulic ram connected with the Hon. Mrs. Griffiths' house, the New Weir, Kenchester, five miles from Hereford. Mr. Godsell, architect, of Hereford, was consulted to give advice upon this serious matter, and engaged to discover, if possible, another source of supply whereby the deficiency could be remedied. An examination of the surroundings disclosed to Mr. Godsell that an abundant supply of water was running to waste into the Wye a few yards lower down. He caused an excavation to be made running parallel with the river, and entrusted the conduct of this part of the work to Mr. Hilo Davies, contractor, whilst he placed the fittings of the galvanised iron connections under the charge of Mr. J. S. Bridgwater, of Whitecross Street, fitter to Mr. Morley. In the process of the work of excavation, an apparently favourable water supply was intercepted, and in following the course of its stream, the workmen found their operations when at a depth of from four feet to nine feet, obstructed by enormous stones, which were broken and otherwise got out of the way, until their attention was drawn to the fact that these stones were carefully hewn, dressed, and of an unusual shape. As soon as it became evident that they had come across some artificial structure, thenceforward the excavations were proceeded with more carefully, until what remained undisturbed of a buried mass of masonry exposed to view a structure about seven feet in diameter, forming a series of steps conducting, in gradually diminishing diameter, to a single large stone at the bottom, perforated by a circular hole six inches in diameter. When this hole was cleared out numerous tessera were brought out of it in handfuls. The position of the circular hole was found to be in the course of a streamlet, issuing from the high grounds above, the overflow of which was conducted to the river along a shallow stone channel or trough. A plugging of this trough would cause the water to rise in the well-shaped basin, provided that the basin was rendered water-tight by mortar and cement. A photograph of the well, taken by Mr. Walter Pilley shortly after the discovery, shows its shape, and its size can be estimated by comparison with the spade and workmen's tools, and the figure of myself taken as I was sketching its plan, which was found to be not quite, but only approaching, circular in form, it being octagonal. Commencing at the bottom, the base was formed of one large stone exposing a diameter of 20 inches, with a circular hole of 6 inches diameter in the centre. The thickness of this stone was not measured, it was probably 6 or 8 inches thick. |