Filthy ancient well and washing trough in Sheffield is set to be restored

The Sheffield Lakeland Landscape Partnership has awarded the Worrall Environmental Group a grant of £3,680 to restore the well and washing trough which is currently blocked up and filthy following the collapse of walls intended to keep out sheep and cattle.

A spokesman said: “Originally a spring on the Sheffield fault, it was certainly developed into a shallow well by the 18th Century, but probably long before that as Worrall pre-dates the Doomsday Book.

“A walled lane lead from Towngate Road to the well and enclosed it against pollution by farm animals.

“That lane was made wide enough for carts to pass along and goes no further so the well was probably in frequent use.

“By the 19th Century a long low trough had been added and a footpath added to Boggard Lane for workers’ access to the quarry works below.

“With such a rich heritage it was a pity that neglect of the drystone walls had resulted in the deterioration over a couple of generations.”

Worrall Environmental Group members cleaned the area up in the 1980s, but since then the blocked culvert also caused flooding and a stream to flow down the path in wet weather.

That was when the group sought funding to provide some professional assistance and materials to supplement their volunteers’ work on restoring the trough and securing its future.

Their plan is to repair the culvert, trim back the goat willow tree, re-landscape the plot, add a bench, interpretation board, and then a gated fence to avoid further fouling – and is actively supported by the landowners, the Greaves Family Trust and Bradfield Parish Council.

A condition of the grant is that group members and others contribute their time to the project.

Michael Smith, who is managing the work, is devising ways this can be achieved in groups of two or three socially distanced to avoid spreading infection.

The group is inviting anyone in the area to take a look and see how the work is progressing. There is a public footpath which goes from Towngate Road and Walshaw Road to Boggard Lane which passes the site.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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