Water fighting at the Bisley Wells
We have been looking after Mari for thirty-six hours while her mother Kim attends a course at the local Hawkwood College. I needed to visit the Stancombe Beech farm shop on the edge of Bisley village to have a chat with Keith about bees and the Bee Farmers. While I did that Helena and Mari fed the farms free range chickens with feed that Keith gave them.
Before we returned home Helena suggested going into the village to see the famous Bisley Wells where thew underground springs emerge from the stone beneath the mound on which the old church was erected. It is obviously a very ancient pagan site but the Victorians built this rather wonderful stone structure with five portals for the springs to emerge from.
It didn't take long for a water fight to begin. I'm not sure who started it, but I can guess.
It is a Listed structure and the website describes it thus:
Bisley Wells
Set of spring water outlets in wall and associated troughs. Dated 1863 for Thomas Keble; restored 1958. Ashlar limestone. Gothic revival style. Facetted apsidal recess formed in steep bank with 5 water chutes; set of 4 troughs to north east. Each water chute has hooded pointed arch with carved symbols in circular trefoiled recess. Water pours onto stone seat, running to outlet at each end feeding 2 further chutes. Above hoods is carved stone script: '
O YE WELLS / BLESS YE THE LORD / PRAISE HIM / AND MAGNIFY HIM / FOR EVER'.
Left and right ends of structure are inscribed:
'RESTORED' and 'AD 1863 & 1958' respectively.
Stone troughs discharge one into another. Traditionally decorated by villagers in annual 'Dressing the Wells' ceremony each spring.
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