Monument record 10640/13 - Abbey of St Werburgh - Water Supply

In the beginning of the history of the Abbey of St Werburgh (CHER 10640), it seems that the monks depended on wells within the precinct, but, in 1278, licence was granted to Abbey of St Werburgh to make a conduit from a well called 'Newtoneswell' in Newton, along the high roads to the abbey, and to pierce the city walls if necessary (1, 4). In 1282, the supply was augmented by the gift of a spring (the ‘Abbot’s Well, CHER 10640/14) in Christleton from the Burnell family and was connected by a pipe to a cistern within the cloisters. A licence by Edward I of 15 Sept 1283 allowed the monks to carry their conduit through their own, in addition to others’, land and through the city walls. There is a fall of only c 3m between the Christleton spring and the abbey. There must have been a pump to supply the various parts of the abbey, such as the lavatorium outside refectory and the rere-dorter to the north-east of the dormitory. A drain, which ran through city wall, still exists under the Abbey Green and is on higher level than that of the cloisters. In the undercroft are the remains of an open conduit or drain that ran across the floor and was probably connected with cistern in the cloister garth (2, 4). A plan of abbey at the time of the Dissolution shows a well in front of the Abbot's lodgings (CHER 10640/6) and a 'great well' in the abbey courtyard (3).

<1> Chester Courant, 1878-1990, The Cheshire Sheaf, 31/77 R S B 1936 (Newspaper-Magazine). SCH3105.

<2> Burne, R. V. H., 1962, The Monks of Chester. The History of St Werburgh's Abbey, /40-41 (Book). SCH3213.

<3> Lysons D & Lysons S, 1806-22, Magna Britannia, Lysons D & S 1810 2/452 (Book). SCH2066.

<4> Lewis C.P & Thacker A.T. (eds), 2005, Victoria County History - A History of the County of Chester: Volume Vii, The City of Chester - The City of Chester, Culture, Buildings, Institutions (Book). SCH6522.