Chibbyr Sanctan (107) – Santon

Information

Chibbyr Sanctan, Santon.  St Sanctan’s Well.

The well was found in 2018.  It is not the well in the wall south of the church at the neighbouring house, but is just before the church and in a small enclosure, the location of which was corrected by W Walter Gill in his Third Manx Scrapbook. His correction indicated there was a pump erected over it and on investigation, the 25 inch OS Map of 1866-1869 showed the location of the pump. The 6 inch map does not show it but does show a circle where the well is, which probably indicates the masonry structure.

The well masonry is substantial.  There is a good shaft both below and above ground and a wall extends from it back in the direction of the road.  It may be that this extending wall was constructed to provide a path to the well as the boundary wall is also a few feet away and both walls create a small path (perhaps the rest of the enclosure was out of bounds but access was granted to the well at some time in the past?).

The well dome, also substantial and with a nice resonance, is removed (in tact) and lying on the ground and the pump appears no longer there though some fixings are evident when looking down the well shaft.

I did not have a torch with me so could not see the bottom of the shaft very clearly but it looked dry.

^Reference

^{1) Submitted by Ber Weyde/Isle of Man Wells
2) W Walter Gill, A Third Manxscrapbook (1962)}

 

 

Location

The well is in a small, gated enclosure before and adjacent to the nursery.  A car park is on the opposite side of the road a little further nearer the church.

Access

It is unknown if the well is on private land or not.

Links

NLS OS 25″ Isle of Man XVII.1 Surveyed: 1866 to 1869, Published: ca. 1870.

Contact

If you have any information on this well please contact me and quote well record number (107) as this will help identify which well you are referring too.