The Monk's Well conduit house 280m WNW of Monkton Farleigh Manor House

Reasons for Designation

Well houses are medieval structures built to protect and supply water to institutions such as monasteries and abbeys. They are small, typically stone built structures placed over a spring or near several water sources. The water which was collected in a stone or lead tank was transported to its destination in lead pipes or gutters. The surrounding structure protected the tank from contamination. The Monk's Well conduit house at Monkton Farleigh is a well-preserved and complete example which has probably supplied water to the priory and manor house since the early 12th century. This example is notable for its unusually steep pitched roof of limestone slabs.

Details

The monument includes the Monk's Well, a 14th century conduit house which is situated on a limestone rise to the west of Monkton Farleigh Manor House. The building is 2.73m square, and built of local limestone. The roof is steep, constructed from limestone slabs reaching a height of 3m, and supported inside by four stone ribs. The wooden door is located in the east wall facing towards the manor house. Above the door there is a small slot window flanked on each side by a square window. The floor of the conduit house is some 0.5m below ground level. Water flows from a springline further up the slope along a conduit through the back wall and into a stone tank set into the ground. From here it drains into a pipe which runs to the manor which is still supplied from this source. The upper part of the building was rebuilt in 1784 and the name `Squire Turner' is carved into the front wall with this date. The Monk's Well, which is a Listed Building Grade II, was built to protect the water supply of the Cluniac priory at Monkton Farleigh which was founded soon after 1120 and dissolved in 1536. The remains of the priory are part of the current manor house which is protected as a Listed Building Grade I. The manor house and priory are not included in the scheduling. A free-standing water filter system inside the building is excluded from the scheduling although the ground beneath is included.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract. It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features, considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

33529

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Chettle, H F, Kirby, J L, The Victoria History of the County of Wiltshire: Monkton Farleigh, (1956), 262-268

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