Head south along the A4 from Temple Meads Railway Station in Bristol and there’s an unusual looking streetlamp. It lies on top of a 7m deep shaft leading into a network of medieval water conduits called Raven’s Well.
Ravens Well is the head of a conduit system dug around 1640 by the monks of Temple Friary to bring fresh water from a spring under Pylle Hill, Totterdown, to the friary at what is now Temple Meads. The conduit was also continued to supply water to the population at the Temple Pipe outlet which was believed to be located near the junction of Victoria Street and Counterslip. The Temple Pipe passage was severed about 100 years ago due to construction of the railway.
Visited with my son whilst the wife maxed-out the credit card at the nearby shops.
REPORT
1. The entrance is tight but just about doable (note the photo is showing the legs of a small child).
2. Immediately on entering there’s a T-Junction. On way leads to the spring and the other way leads under the railway towards the Temple Pipe Outlet.
3. We head under the railway first.
4. Exactly under the railway line.
5. And comes to a dead end at a sump. As explained earlier, it once extended further prior to the construction of the railways.
6. A short dead-end passage.
7. With a clay pipe on the ground.
8. Now for the other direction towards the spring.
9. The water is about 50cm deep in places.
10. Child added to illustrate deepness of the water.
11. Anyways onwards to that spring.
12.
13. Directly underneath that lamppost.
14. And looking up the shaft.
15. I would say about 150m to the spring from the entrance.
16. And finally the spring.
17. And possibly an old artifact – a foot long wooden peg.
Thanks for reading.
Ravens Well is the head of a conduit system dug around 1640 by the monks of Temple Friary to bring fresh water from a spring under Pylle Hill, Totterdown, to the friary at what is now Temple Meads. The conduit was also continued to supply water to the population at the Temple Pipe outlet which was believed to be located near the junction of Victoria Street and Counterslip. The Temple Pipe passage was severed about 100 years ago due to construction of the railway.
Visited with my son whilst the wife maxed-out the credit card at the nearby shops.
REPORT
1. The entrance is tight but just about doable (note the photo is showing the legs of a small child).
2. Immediately on entering there’s a T-Junction. On way leads to the spring and the other way leads under the railway towards the Temple Pipe Outlet.
3. We head under the railway first.
4. Exactly under the railway line.
5. And comes to a dead end at a sump. As explained earlier, it once extended further prior to the construction of the railways.
6. A short dead-end passage.
7. With a clay pipe on the ground.
8. Now for the other direction towards the spring.
9. The water is about 50cm deep in places.
10. Child added to illustrate deepness of the water.
11. Anyways onwards to that spring.
12.
13. Directly underneath that lamppost.
14. And looking up the shaft.
15. I would say about 150m to the spring from the entrance.
16. And finally the spring.
17. And possibly an old artifact – a foot long wooden peg.
Thanks for reading.
A tunnel in its purest form! I hope you've treated the lad to an egg or three this weekend!
