The Wells

Wind Pump

There has been for as long as the hill itself been an abundant supply of water on Mow Cop, even now I can count 3 covered reservoirs that supply both Staffordshire and Cheshire. In the past however there were many more, I have studied an old map of the area from the turn of the century and have counted at least 30. Most of these are not wells in the sense of a large walled pit descending into the ground; they are natural springs that have been built around, or a simple pipe allowing access to the clear God sent liquid.
One of the first curiosities I have found is the remains of a water pump (17) left partly covered in the wall of Castle Road, just up from the Mow Cop Inn. It is clearly visible where there was a recess in the wall, and just above it protrudes the trunk of a water pump, the kind you picture from films of old.

Another well in the usual sense of the word was the Sugar Well this was at the back of the castle and was said to be 70ft deep. The only remains of the well are a large bowl like indentation in the ground, at the base of the steps of the castle, on the Staffordshire side. This was once walled and was built at the same time as the castle to supply the Wilbraham family as they visited their summerhouse

One of the Schools on Mow Cop called `Woodcocks Well School’ named after a small spring at the top of what is now Church Street, formerly School Bank. The area was well wooded and was full of the small game bird the Woodcock. This well is now gone as it was piped to Well Farm, now known as Spout Farm.
We also have the road Spring Bank, that leads up from Kent Green Wharf there is the location of one of the previously mentioned reservoirs at the top of this hill there was once a well in Station road called the Waywarden’s Well (right)(16) this was removed and re assemble near to Mow Cop Station in 1905

The most impressive looking of the wells however are the `Squire’s Well’ and the `Parsons well’. These were built up almost like shrines and are very good examples of just how much the people of Mow Cop respected the water supply that they had. For many years well dressing was common , but this tradition has long since dried up also

to the right of this well is a smaller simpler construction that was probably used to water the animals.
The Squire’s Well (left) (3) bears the inscription
"To do good forget not"
"The Squire’s Well 1862"
This is situated again near to the Castle and is opposite what was once the "Tower Inn" This had a water level and still does, that lies just below the road level.

"The Parsons Well, 1862"
This was the same year that the Primitive Methodist Memorial Chapel and was apparently funded by Miss Wilbraham. An Ode to this fact was written by Mr David Oakes
"Mrs Wilbraham is a Lady born
All other women she doth excel
Twenty guineas she did lay down
For making Parsons Well."

Another good example is the well of Well Street (8)(left). I don't know much about this well, except I do know that
there was a bakery near by.

On the Staffordshire side just bellow what was Welsh Row is another good example of these walled springs, (18) this was built in 1862 and would have been used by the miners who lived there. This was built at the peak of the mining at Tower Hill Colliery.

Finally I must mention the Corda Well (33)this can be found on the path that was the Tramway of 1807. This is the one well that never ran dry and still flows to this day. During droughts and very hot summers, when all the other wells had ran dry the Corda Well kept flowing, and people came from many miles at all times of day and night. Lord Egerton well leased the Corda to the Congleton Water authority at the turn of the 20^th century. The water was piped underground to the Corda Well Tank in Newbold and from there fed to the Congleton Moss water tower. The location of the Water Tank can be seen on the 1908 map. As you walk through the fields between The Corda Well and the Old site of Congleton Water Corporation, you will come across ½ dozen or so covered inspection shafts. The 1st is right by the Corda Well and is a the old cistern, the next is 100 yards down in the swampy ground, and has filled up due to a blockage. The covers and the water works are on land owned by Limekiln Farm at Astbury Lime Works. Until 1998 this spring water as part of the agreement fed this farm and 3 houses in the same region. As the pipes deteriorated it became uneconomical to continue with this water supply.

The Parsons Well (7) bears the inscription
"Keep they self Pure"