Well, Upper Ballahane Cottage (229) – Port St Mary

/in /by

Information

Well, Upper Ballahane Cottage, Port St Mary.  Per Kneen in Place-names, Ballahane means O’Hane’s farm (Irish Baile Ui hEidhin).

This well is in a stunning location and sits in its own distinguished, private plot opposite the cottage.  It is surrounded by a stone wall on three sides with access via a wooden gate and must have been separated from the field it was obviously part of at some point.  On the 6″ and 25″ Ordnance Survey maps of the late 1860s it is shown separate from the field so was likely already part of the cottage’s deeds then, though neither map indicates a well there.  The 25″ maps do show pumps on them but I cannot make out if the letter ‘P’ is evident on the relevant map or if it is simply a flourish for indicating the position of a tree.

The shaft is very wide and after recently saying the well at Ballacallum Red Gates has the widest circumference I had seen, this well far exceeds that.  The lower part of the shaft is rock and it is quite deep.  You can see some old pipework inside and a piece of wood is floating in the clear water.  Though now detached, the well pump was sited on the gable end of the cottage so water was brought to this outlet in times past and may have provided water for other dwellings.

The well elevation is approx. 69m/226 ft.

Lovely to visit with the owners and learn some of the history of the well and the cottage.  Thank you for inviting us.

Reference

Submitted by owners

 

Photographs by Ber Weyde

Location

The well is at Upper Ballahane Cottage, Port St Mary.

Access

Private property, please contact landowner for access.

Links

NLS OS 6″ Sheet XV Surveyed: 1868, Published: 1870 .  The well is not indicated on the OS.

NLS OS 25″ Isle of Man XV.16 Surveyed: 1867, Published: ca. 1870.  The well is not indicated on this map either and it is uncertain if a ‘P’ is indicated to represent a pump or if it is a flourish as part of the representation for a tree.

What3Words: tugs.aviation.curable.  Toggle to satellite view by clicking on globe bottom r/h corner.

Contact

If you have any information on this well please contact me and quote well record number (229) as this will help identify which well you are referring too.