Seven Chiltern Wells from Twyford
Two universal truths we learn in childhood: water is essential to life; water does not flow uphill of its own accord. Much of the rain falling in the Chilterns seeps through the porous chalk rather than collecting on the surface or in streams. In previous centuries many villages suffered from severe water shortages and relied on local wells. This ride of just under 55 km takes you to seven of those wells. Want to jump straight to the route? Here’s the map.
Route map for Seven Wells From Twyford on plotaroute.com
Leaving Twyford Station, ride to the left along Station Road, soon joining Church Street and turning left at the traffic lights by Costa Coffee. The route crosses the A4 at a roundabout by the Wee Waif pub and continues through Sonning to cross the River Thames, shortly crossing the A4130 Henley to Reading road to continue uphill through Playhatch to Dunsden Green.
A plaque on the side of the village hall, formerly a Victorian schoolhouse, provides a memorial to the War poet, Wilfred Owen. The Wilfred Owen Association has information on his time in Dunsden and his work with the poor of the village.
For the first of the wells, turn right at Binfield Heath Post Office (which has facilities for locking bikes) to Keeps Well, next to Green Pond.
Keeps Well with pond in background
This unusual Victorian covered well was accidentally demolished by a tractor but has been rebuilt exactly as it was. There are other wells in the area, some in private gardens.
First well photographed, ticked off or committed to memory, turn back to ride along Arch Hill and Sonning Common Road to cross the B481 at the foot of Peppard Hill. Shortly, it’s a left turn into Gallowstree Road to find the second well just to the north end of Old Copse.
(Click to open for larger view) As with the next well, the ironwork came from Wilders of Wallingford.
Gallowstree Road becomes Horsepond Road; shortly after Reade’s Lane on the left, turn right into The Hamlet to find the well house on your right. Set in a grassed area with a bench, this well has walls on three sides.
Continuing on The Hamlet, loop back on to Horsepond Road and shortly turn right into Wyfold Road, climbing gently to a right turn into Wyfold Lane. At a T junction turn left to climb Stoke Row Road. On entering the village, the route heads right towards Highmoor. As it’s an out and back section, there’s the option to omit this part of the route.
The well at Highmoor is just before St Paul’s Church which is now a private house. Gravestones are confined to a small walled area with the former churchyard converted to a garden with planters and a lawn. Personally, I found this this well rather sad and disappointing because it seems to be used for storing wood. Fortunately, it is still possible to see the platforms on which two people stood to operate the well.
It is 284 feet deep and was sunk in 1865 by the Rev. H.G. Munro, who was the first vicar of St Paul's Church, from 1859 until 1877. The wellhouse, which is hexagonal, was paid for by a Miss Elwes of Highmoor Hall.
Returning to Stoke Row, continue past the Cherry Tree Public House to reach the Stoke Row Store and Kitchen for a refreshment stop before crossing the road to see the Maharajah’s Well which is without doubt the most impressive of the seven wells.
Maharajah’s Well at Stoke Row
This well owes its existence to the friendship between Edward Reade, a local man who worked in the civil service in India, and the Maharaja of Benares. Learning of the water shortages and deprivation of villagers in this area of the Chilterns, the Maharaja commissioned the well. It is maintained by a local trust. Cherries grown on the trees in the adjoining meadow provided funding for maintenance, as does rental from the cottage. It’s a fascinating story, told in a leaflet available locally.
The route continues in the same direction to a left turn to Berins Hill. This is steep, with a gravelly section at the very bottom in Well Place. Google Street View (April 2011) shows a smooth surface; it has deteriorated to the point of being hazardous to the unwary.
Turning left at the bottom, continue to the last well which is right next to the church. Dating from 1865, it was presented to the community of Ipsden by an Indian man named Rajah Sir Deonarayun Singh, a year after the well at Stoke Row opened. It remained in use until piped water arrived in 1948.
Returning a short distance to the cross roads, turn right following NCN 5 to ascend Garsons Lane which is less steep than Berins Hill. At the top, turn right to descend to Uxmore Road. Passing through Checkendon, turn left into Deer’s Lane (becoming Park Lane) to meet Horsepond Road. Here it’s a left turn followed shortly by a right turn into Wood Lane, still on NCN5. This leads to the seventh well, at Kidmore End. When I visited shortly after Christmas, the well had its own tree and battery operated festive lights.
The route continues in the same direction along Chalkhouse Green Road and Kidmore End Road to Emmer Green. Here it meets the Peppard Road. Crossing the A4155 Henley Road, the route takes Westfield Road to turn left into Gosbrook Road; just before a zebra crossing the cycleway is clearly marked, leading to Christchurch Bridge from which it is a very short ride through buildings to cross Vastern Road to the north entrance of Reading Station.
