Well head, attached revetment walls and steps c74m East of Court Farm
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1409364
- Date first listed:
- 08-Oct-2012
- List Entry Name:
- Well head, attached revetment walls and steps c74m East of Court Farm
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Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1409364
- Date first listed:
- 08-Oct-2012
- List Entry Name:
- Well head, attached revetment walls and steps c74m East of Court Farm
- Location Description:
- Well head, attached revetment walls and steps c74m east of Court Farm, Backwell
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- North Somerset (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Backwell
- National Grid Reference:
- ST4947368345
Summary
An C18 well and well head, possibly of medieval origins, repaired in the C19 and C20
Reasons for Designation
Well head, attached revetment walls and steps c74m East of Court Farm, Backwell is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Date: it dates from at least the early C18 with possible earlier origins;
* Architectural interest: it has a substantial well head with an unusual conical shape and a prominent stone arch entrance;
* Communal interest: as well as serving Court Farm it is likely the water source was used by others in the parish, and the well is a strong candidate for the name source of Backwell parish;
* Group value: it has strong group value with the listed Court Farm.
History
The well at Court Farm is thought to have medieval origins and there are early records of a well at this location with stone walls on either side and above. A deed of Backwell Manor from 1709 mentions the rights to use the ‘well called Backwell’ at Court Farm. Court Farm (Grade II) is a mid- to late-C17 farmhouse. The well was in use as a source of the water to the building until at least 1939. In the mid C20 a retaining wall was added above. Local tradition suggests that this well may have been the water source which can be attributed to the naming of the parish of Backwell.
Details
MATERIAL: the well is constructed of limestone rubble
DESCRIPTION: the well head is a conical shape with a domed top. It has stone revetment walls on either side. It is built into a bank over a natural spring. The entrance arch has thick walls and is c2m in height. Iron hinges in the stone work suggest this would have originally been gated. Inside the well are the petrified remains of a wooden shelf opposite the entrance. Stone steps lead down to the arched entrance within the west elevation. A mid-C20 wall has been added above the well head and is not included in the designation.
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 04-Jul-2026 at 10:42:39.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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