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When my husband and I bought a country house, we found a few surprises on the plot. One of them was an old, badly damaged and ineffective well. It looked historic, so we didn't want to liquidate it.
Well renovation
We started a thorough reconstruction.
- From the old well there are only concrete rings protruding above the surface of the lining and the square, oak casing of its deep, 10-meter interior.
- The remaining elements - the cover, roof, turnstile and lighting - were made in a cottage-style way from elements found in the yard and in the attic.
- For a perfectly matching cover we used the side of a huge spool made of thick boards and secured with a metal rim. Once, an electric cable was wound around it.
- On the sides of the well, my husband dug two beams, secured with pre-heated glue. They constitute a support for the wooden structure of the roof covered with old tiles.
- We made a stylish reel from an acacia tree stump. We cut it to the correct length and secured it with two metal rings.
- The wheel moving the mechanism was made by a friend. He made them from an old, post-German wheelbarrow. The turnstile - attached to the beams on two thick metal bars, with a chain wound around it - fulfills its role perfectly. However, we don't use it very often.
For watering the garden, we use a float pump thanks to the power supply. Fortunately, we do not have to use the well for domestic needs, although nothing would be a problem as the water in it is crystal clear.Since the renovation, i.e. for over ten years, this ornament has only needed to be repainted several times. We didn't have to clean or deepen it.
Jadwiga Antonowicz-Osiecka
