The Borough Well

The well is situated in Borough Well Lane, which connects Trinity Street with Bridge Street. Traditionally known as the Roman Well it is thought that it has been in use since Roman times. However, another theory is that ‘Roman’ refers to the Roman Catholic period, when the Benedictine Priory owned all the land running down to the river, and the nuns used the Well as their main source of water.

The Well is a natural spring of pure water which runs into a brick lined cistern, erected to make the water more easily obtained using buckets, The brick work was repaired in Tudor times. By the 17th century a pump had been installed, which conducted the spring water through a pipe into the Well.

From early times the maintenance of the Well was the responsibility of the Town Reeve and Town Trust. Entries in the old Town Book accounts record items such as:

1728 – Paid for drink when the Town Pump was mended, 4s. 6d
Paid for paving round the Town Pump, 1s. 0d.
1747 – Paid Mr. Cluff for Bottomfying the Town Well, 7s. 6d.

Throughout the 19th century the Well was used as a main water supply for the town centre. Old photographs include a boy struggling up Bridge Street with overflowing buckets, and an old gentleman riding to the Well, with a bucket slung on the handles of his penny-farthing bike.

From about 1923, pumped water was gradually made available to all houses from a pump-house on the Common, and the Well ceased to be needed.

In the 1980’s the Town Trust arranged to repair the Well, and the Bungay Society raised funds towards the repair and the provision of new entrance gates.

The Well can only be visited by pre-booked parties due to the steep steps which become damp and slippery.