Hi, Margaret!
How wonderful to hear about the progress!! Thanks for filling us in on
what's been done. It sounds like another victory for preservation......
Very best,
Bonnie and Tom Campbell
-----Original Message-----
From: Katy Jordan <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Wednesday, March 22, 2000 8:13 AM
Subject: Oxford well <fwd>
>--- Begin Forwarded Message ---
>Date: Wed, 22 Mar 2000 12:44:14 +0000
>From: Margaret Hauser <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Rejected Oxford well
>Sender: Margaret Hauser
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>
>Reply-To: Margaret Hauser
><[log in to unmask]>
>Message-ID: <[log in to unmask]>
>
>
>
>
>>
>>I'm still wondering what the Oxford group decided to do about the well
>they >had re-discovered....At one point they were thinking that the public
>>shouldn't be told about the project because of the potential for
>vandalism. >I hope they have decided- as you pointed out in your note-
>that once the >public is "locked out" of a site there is no way a well can
>be saved. >
>
>
>Since I was the person who raised the query about allowing the public to
>have access to a well, I thought I'd reply to this by letting you know
>about the latest developments at the Oxford well site referred to here.
>
>Firstly, there've been a lot of interesting ideas and information on
>wells-and-spas recently, so many thanks to everybody.
>
>Secondly, I should let you know that my interest in (and fascination with)
>wells is geographical, archaeological and sociological. I trained as a
>geographer, am carrying out archaeological work investigating the religious
>and medical history of a well site near Oxford, and work at the Refugee
>Studies Centre in Oxford with anthropologists and development researchers
>to whom wells are an important current interest in underdeveloped and war
>torn countries. Coming from a academic background, I think it's important
>to recognise the separate value of myth and fact when talking about wells
>and that it's particularly exciting when documentary evidence or field
>work at particular sites increase our general understanding of the
>significance of wells at various points in history.
>
>I'm very pleased to read that others share my concern that wells in Britain
>should be preserved. Appleton and other villages near Oxford depended
>on well water until the 1960s, my own family home in Scotland still
>depends on a well in the garden for its water supply and we can never be
>sure that we will not suffer the kind of conflict that is occurring in the
>Balkans at the moment and have to resort to more widespread dependency on
>them again in the future. Probably for the first time in history, wells
>now represent a polluted and possibly dangerous water source rather than a
>source to be guarded, worshipped, enjoyed and exploited because of the
>purity of the water, and the
>knowledge of their location is being lost. If we can reverse this trend in
>any way at all, this will be an important achievement.
>
>The well I referred to in my previous posting is on Badswell Lane, in
>Appleton to the west of Oxford. It's not marked on the OS map though its
>site is shown by a blip on the north side of the boundary to the lane (just
>to the left of the A of Appleton on the OS 1:25,000 1992). I found a
>reference to it in the Victoria County History and was interested in it
>because it seemed to be at a lower level than the main spring line marked
>by the village development. I eventually located the well on the ground,
>almost totally concealed in the undergrowth, and was pleased to
>discover from the parish meeting minutes on the village noticeboard that
>the parish council was interested in renovating it. So I got in touch
>with them and offered my services as archaeological advisor. A local
>person who lives in Badswell Lane has become very interested in the
>project and has cleared away the undergrowth. The rest of the work I've
>done alone - it's been hours and hours of work! With not much more than
>an archaeological trowel, a bucket and dustpan
>and brush, I've uncovered a very fine stone paved area with what appears to
>be a stoup in the centre, surrounded by a wall and a flight of steps to one
>side. I've just completed some scale drawings of each elevation and am now
>embarking on opening up the stone lined drain to the nearby ditch
>and clearing the well shaft. The well shaft is the most interesting bit
>of a well archaeolgically but it's also muddy and dangerous! I've also
>done some digging outside the perimeter wall with some interesting results.
>
>A vicar at the local church some years ago tried to research the history of
>the well but neither he nor I have been able to find out a great deal about
>it. However, I'm now writing an article using the information I've
>gathered so far and hope to get the well recorded on the Sites and
>Monuments record. I'd also like to get the school children involved - the
>vicar I referred to above was keen they should process to it on Ascension
>Day so I'm wondering if the school will resurrect this idea. At the
>moment the stonework isn't very safe and I'm worried someone might steal
>it. I gave a presentation about the well to the Parish Council meeting
>just before Christmas and will be going again next month to report on
>progress. I hope that if the parish 'adopts' it, they can raise some
>money to repair the shaft edge and shore up the surrounding wall and will
>generally be vigilant about its preservation and upkeep in the future.
>
>If anyone knows anything about this well, known variously as the Badwell,
>Badswell, Bardwell or Badger's Well, I'd be very pleased to hear about it.
>
>Margaret Hauser
>
>
>
>THE REFUGEE STUDIES CENTRE
>Queen Elizabeth House
>University of Oxford
>21 St Giles, Oxford OX1 3LA, UK
>Tel: +44-1865-270724
>Fax: +44-1865-270721
>
>
>
>THE REFUGEE STUDIES CENTRE
>Queen Elizabeth House
>University of Oxford
>21 St Giles, Oxford OX1 3LA, UK
>Tel: +44-1865-270724
>Fax: +44-1865-270721
>
>--- End Forwarded Message ---
>
>
>-----------------------------------------------------
>Katy Jordan
>Faculty Librarian, Engineering & Design
>Library & Learning Centre
>University of Bath
>BA2 7AY
>Tel: 01225-826826 x5612
>-----------------------------------------------------
>Living Spring Journal - THE International Electronic
>Forum for Research into Holy Wells & Waterlore
>http://www.bath.ac.uk/lispring/journal/front.htm
>-----------------------------------------------------
>The Holy Wells Web - Gateway to Waterlore
>http://www.bath.ac.uk/~liskmj/holywell.htm
>-----------------------------------------------------
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