Scratch the surface in Lathom and…

Well_retouched
One of the three wells discovered

‘Scratch the surface’ has become a familiar remark since the Lathom Park Trust was formed over ten years ago and the results have uncovered an unimaginable wealth of information.

As is often the case, initial leads come from a casual comment made by friends and members.

Such was the moment when we were asked to visit an area high on the banks of the River Tawd. Years of dense undergrowth and brushwood was being cleared in woodland when a ‘hole’ was found among tree roots.

On further inspection we found what we thought to be a medieval well, then we found another, then another, almost equally spaced, in straight line. It was then we realised they were set in a sophisticated labyrinth of earthworks on the hillside - leaving even more questions to be answered. 

Needless to say, we hope with the landowner’s permission, to investigate this more professionally in due course. 

For example, to clear, excavate and date the wells, trace the water source, establish whether there were dwellings on site to service what could have been an important historical function.

Another Lathom mystery waiting to be solved!!!