Buxton Advertiser wed.3 October 2001,p.3
CHILDREN'S WELL TO BE RESTORED
A once-familiar fountain is to be restored to Buxton.The
"Children's Well" will be sited outs ide the Grove Hotel and will be
fed by Buxton spa water,although it will not be a drinking
fountain.
The well was presented to the towin in i886 by a local
solicitor,Mr.J.W.Taylor.The granite structure is an octagonal base
supporting a pedestal and urn.
High Peak Borough Council is restoring it at a cost of
£27,000.The work will begin soon and is expected to last three
weeks.
The well was originally sited at the Bridge Street end of Spring
Gardens and the urn has been missing for some years.
Specialist restorers have supplied a new urn following research
from archive photographs and a matching drinking fountain located
near London.
"The fountain is part of Buxton's history and will provide anothe
interesting ornamental feature in its new location,"said Cllr Andrew
Uprichard,High Peak Borough council's executive member for
regeneration.
A turning-on-the water ceremony will be arranged in due course
with The Buxton Group,who raised £500 towards the well's
restoration and took an active interest in ensuring it was restored
to the town.
They are also commissioning a plaque,depicting the historical
background to the well.
Buxton Advertiser wed.17 October 2001,p.4
THANKS FOR BRINGING CHILDREN'S WELL PROJECT TO
FRUITION.
SIR
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......On another tack,I note the Children's Well is to be situ in
about three weeks' time.That is very good news but thecost
quoted is incredible.
Surely it would have been far better to have listened to people in
Buxton who wanted it left where it was --in the parish of
St.Peter's,Fairfield,Spring Gardens,and that would have cost far
less.
Prices escalate and it must be oveer five years since the
pedestrianisation of Spring Garden took place.The Housing and
Planning Committee approved the move on June 16,1998.
I do wonder why the water for the well had to be brought from
the Crescent side of the traffic lights,since I understand that the
"well" is not now to be a drinking fountain ---unless it is to do with
the water board.
Once a new site had to be chosen,I thought it was a good
one,since the "well" would now be on the processional route for
the blessing of the wells ceremony.
I would like to thank the members of The Buxton
Group,especially Davis and Sheila Morten,who have given upso
much time and effort to meet with Mr.Tuffrey and others to bring
this projecto to fruition at last.
I believe there is be be plaque giving a history of the "well" and I
do hope that,inscribed in the paving,will be the words:"Whosoever
will let him take the water of life freely 1886."Time will show!
J M Crauford-Stuart (Mrs)
St John's Road
Buxton
N.B.The Buxton Community School's Well Dressing was held on
the new site for this well for the first time this year(2001);previous
years it had been erected at the old site.
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