We are growing concerned about the wellbeing of historic St Julian’s Well on Livesey Road, Ludlow. The well is a Grade II Listed Building.
A small number of stones at the base of the well cover have been damaged. The well is in the middle of the road and it is not clear whether this is from passing traffic, from grit and salt spread on the road, or just because the monument is decaying with age.
Teenagers sometimes sit on the cover at night and that might be why the cover seems to be sinking. We don’t want the cover to collapse into the space beneath and people to be hurt.
As the photographs below show, the monument has notably decayed in the last two years.
St Julian’s Well in May 2015
St Julian’s Well in May 2013
(Images courtesy of Ian Capper under Creative Commons)
Tracey Huffer and I have asked for a meeting with heritage officers as soon as possible to ensure the monument is safe and to get repairs underway.
The well dates back until at least the 14th century, when it served the town and the Augustinian friary. Archaeological investigations suggest that there are well preserved remains of a water conduit below the well head.
It is clear this monument is close to the point of structural failure. Urgent action needs to make it safe and repair it. This would also be a good opportunity to conduct archaeological investigations and learn more about the well.
The last thing we want is for the well to be fenced off and left to decay for years like the town walls.
Hopefully, unlike the town walls, there is no dispute over responsibility. This really should be a Grade 1 monument with National Monuent status… Victorian houses in that road are Grade 2
Thanks Andy I never knew what that “pile of stones” were.As to Marilyn’s reply what is happening to our town wall?