Monument record 0193300000 - ST RUMBOLD'S WELL, BUCKINGHAM

Summary

Site of a medieval holy well, rebuilt in 1623 as a conduit house and restored in 2002

Protected Status/Designation

  • Ancient Monument 1017204: ST RUMBOLD'S WELL
  • Planning Notification Area: Medieval holy well of St Rumbolds Well

Map

Type and Period (2)

  • HOLY WELL (Medieval to 17th Century - 1066 AD? to 1623 AD?)
  • CONDUIT HOUSE (Built 1623, 17th Century to Modern - 1623 AD to 1999 AD)

Description

Dimensions - Width 0004 Length 0010 m
Plan Form - RECTANGULAR
SCHEDULED: SAM 29442 (B8). WELL HOUSE OF ST RUMBOLD'S WELL; SMALL 1 STOREY BUILDING OF STONE RUBBLE. STONE IN E WALL GABLE CARVED WITH INITIALS & DATE L/WM/1623. DOORWAY N WALL, 4-CENTRED ARCH, SUNK SPANDRELS, SQUARE HEAD (B1,B7). WELL DUG OUT 1960'S BY BUCKINGHAM ARCH SOC (B4). NOW RUINOUS (B5). NGR (B3). ACCOUNT OF ST RUMWALD & SHRINE (B6).
Well and possible circular wellhead or wellhouse shown on Speed's map of 1610. In 1623 the spring had been enclosed by a private conduit house supplying Castle House. The wellhouse survived relatively intact at least until 1913 when it was described in some detail by the Royal Commission, but by 1968 the walls had been demolished to ground level (B10). Detailed survey of well house and adjacent earthworks carried out following removal of vegetation from the structure in December 2000. Two door jambs were identified in the northwall, a fragment of a stone column or pillar and other dressed stone was observed, and a possible length of retaining wall associated with a nearby spring was recorded. Earthworks surveyed include remains of ridge and furrow, a possible parish boundary bank and ditch, and probable quarry pits (B11).
Watching brief carried out in March 2002 during restoration work, revealed previously unrecorded internal stone steps (possibly secondary) and some constructional detail. At the time of the building's decay, its roof was of tile (B12).
2 leaflets on St Rumbold and associated sites produced by the Buckingham Society (B13-14).
Included in Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register in 2023. Condition described as 'Extensive significant problems'; with the principal vulnerability identified as 'localised/limited natural erosion', and the trend as 'declining' (B15).

Sources (16)

  • ---SBC21395 Aerial Photograph: Michael Farley. 2000. Oblique AP by Mike Farley. SP69003340. Yes.
  • <1>SBC13000 Bibliographic reference: RCHM BUCKS 2 P74.
  • <2>SBC15593 Bibliographic reference: VCH BUCKS 3 P475.
  • <3>SBC10450 Map: OS 1972 1:2500 MAP.
  • <4>SBC2114 Verbal communication: Ted Bull. 1982. BULL E J to PIKE A R 1982.
  • <5>SBC41 Verbal communication: A R PIKE 1990 (2ND FEB) PERS COMM.
  • <6>SBC5992 Bibliographic reference: HAGERTY R P 1988 THE BUCKS SAINTS RECONSIDERED 3: ST RUMWOLD (RUMBOLD) OF BUCKINGHAM IN RECSOFBUCKS.
  • <7>SBC6137 Bibliographic reference: HARRISON J T, 1909, LEISURE-HOUR NOTES ON HISTORICAL BUCKINGHAM PP57-8 (REPRINTED 1972 BY PAUL P B .
  • <8>SBC13950 Scheduling record: English Heritage. 2000. SCHEDULING LIST OF INSPECTORATE OF ANCIENT MONUMENTS.
  • <9>SBC19671 Photograph: C F Wardale (Ordnance Survey Field Investigator). 1970. OS 1970 Photo of St Rumbol's Well after excavation.
  • <10>SBC19672 Unpublished document: Michael Farley Archaeology. 2000. St Rumbold's Well, Buckingham: first report on proposals for improving interpretation & management.
  • <11>SBC19224 Unpublished document: Michael Farley Archaeology. 2001. St Rumbold's Well, Buckingham: second report on proposals for improving interpretation & management.
  • <12>SBC19710 Unpublished document: Michael Farley Archaeology. 2002. St Rumbold's Well, Buckingham: Third report: restoration of the well..
  • <13>SBC22201 Unpublished document: Rodney Shirley. 2004?. The Strange Tale of St Rumbold of Buckingham.
  • <14>SBC22202 Unpublished document: Rodney Shirley. 2004. A Short Walk Through Buckingham and to the Ancient Site Nearby of St Rumbold's Well.
  • <15>SBC26583 Digital archive: Historic England. 2023. Heritage at Risk Register 2023.

Location

Grid reference SP 68965 33550 (point)
Civil Parish BUCKINGHAM, Aylesbury Vale, Buckinghamshire

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (5)

  • Event - Survey: (EBC13779)
  • Event - Survey: (EBC14088)
  • Event - Survey: Earthwork and structural surveys (EBC16048)
  • Event - Intervention: Excavation (EBC11853)
  • Event - Intervention: Watching brief during restoration work (EBC16150)

Record last edited

Feb 15 2024 11:46AM

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