The Rackenford Trinity Well Project

Mains water did not arrive in this small North Devon village until the 1960s. A windmill on the common drew water from the spring for those houses, which had taps, but even this supply was erratic and water still had often to be fetched from the village wells, as it had every day for the cottages without them.

 

The principal well was on the common opposite the church. Known as Trinity Well, it was originally reputed to have healing powers. In White’s Directory of 1850 it is described as “a never failing spring of clear water.” The photograph of c 1900 shows it covered by a thatched pumphouse, part wood and part stone. Living memory recalls this as having seats and being used as a regular meeting place. The pumphouse was destroyed and the well capped by the Water Board when the mains supply arrived.

 

The Parish Council has been debating the restoration of Trinity Well since 1992. We now have £4,000 to put towards the project. The well would be a meeting place for walkers; there is a network of parish footpaths, which is only lightly used and connects with the SSI of Knowstone Moor and the Two Moors Way. The interior would house photographs and memories of water collection, maps of the surrounding footpaths and information about birds, animals and flowers to be recognised on these routes. The information would be collected and updated by the School.

 

Volunteer labour has uncovered the cap and designed a building in cob and thatch (which it almost certainly would have been before the Victorian version) with seating and a pump to enable walkers to wash their boots. Once completed, steps would be taken to get it included in the various walkers’ guides to North Devon. We hope this would bring more tourists into the village, to the benefit of the pub and the community shop.

 

Two estimates have been obtained of which the lower is £11,150. A further £2,000 is estimated for excavating the fill and for foundations. After installing the pump, grid and basket to catch coins and holders for maps, photographs and information the total should be about £17,000.

 

The Parish Council would be responsible for ongoing maintenance. It is supported in this project by the Rackenford Village Hall Committee, which is a registered charity, by the Rackenford Village Shop Company (a company not for profit) and by the governors of Rackenford Primary School. The School envisages using the well as a basis for science and history projects.

 

Information boards

  1. History of the well and water supplies to the village; reminiscences; photos c 1900 and 1940s. Cob building.
  2. Map of footpaths through parish
  3. Farm animals to be seen with explanation of housing in winter and lambing seasons. Devon’s, Friesians, Dexters;Suffolk/Dorset sheep. How walkers can help farmers.
  4. Birds, butterflies to be seen.
  5. Wild flowers by month.

6.   Wild animals; red deer, badgers, foxes, hares

     

If you have any more suggestions about the project, or would like to help, or can think of likely funders, please let us know.

 

Rackenford & Creacombe Parish Council

Sarah Child chairman West Backstone Rackenford EX16 8EF cocksandchild@hotmail.co.uk

Michael Lane vice chairman Boyces Rackenford EX16 8DU

 

 

The well as it was

 

 

 

 

 

The new building would look much like this