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Summary

St Dominick's well at Carvedras House, Truro is considered likely to be of C17 date.

Protected Status

• Conservation Area: TRURO

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SW 84 NW 31
• National Record of the Historic Environment to Historic Environment Records data transfer
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 428756
• OS No. (OS Quarter-sheet and OS No.): SW84NW 31
• Primary Record No. (1985-2009): 25242
• SMR No. (OS Quarter-sheet and SMR No.): SW84NW 33

Monument Type(s):

• HOLY WELL (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)

Full description

"There was a well" writes Dr Taunton c1800 (MS at RIC) "in the backlet of Mr Plummer stopp't up called St Dominick's Well" (b1). St Dominick's well has been identified by Lane-Davies and Sheppard with the well in the front garden of Carvedras House in St George's Road, Truro (b2, b3). Meyrick, however, suggests that St Dominick's well was in fact identical with the well in the yard of the Royal Standard. In 1986, the well at Carvedras House was visited and described by the OS (h1). The well is approached by a flight of ten steps, sandstone slabs on bricks, with the garden wall to the north-east side, and a mixed brick and stone wall on the other. The well chamber is 0.9m square, with brick sides. The back has two courses of vertically set slabs at the base but otherwise is of brick. The roof is of sandstone slabs. The water level in the chamber is 2cm below ground level. The structure appears to be of 17th century date; if it ever had any connection with the friary, as suggested by Sheppard and Lane-Davies, then it has been rebuilt, possibly when the house was constructed (h1).

When the site was visited in 2001 the well was found to be situated adjoining the boundary wall against St. George's Road. The steps give access from the north west. The whole is L-shaped in plan and measuring approximately 3.9m north west to south east by up to 2.7m north east - south west. The doorway is 0.6m wide and 1.5m high, and the door is modern timber one. The walls are constructed of lime washed shillet (local stone) rubble and brick, the lowest 5 or 6 courses being of small slabs, vertically set. The roof is formed of 3 stone slabs, with several small pieces of iron. The interior measures 1m (north west - south east) by 0.9m and is approximately 2.5m high above the base. The depth of water is 0.7m. The access to the well measures 3.6m (north west - south east) by 1.2m (north east - south west). It is bounded on the south west by a revetment of local rubble stone and brick with concrete capping, and on the north east by the garden wall of rubble (1.3m high). The 7 uppermost steps are formed of slabs of cut stone and tile resting on bricks and small slag blocks. They measure 1.2m across by 0.3m with a rise of 15cm. Below these steps is a roughly square slate slab up to 0.7m across. From this the access turns 90 degrees to two steps facing the well house, also formed of slate slabs. These are 0.6m wide by 0.3m and 0.1m high. The listing is considered to provide adequate protection (5).

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Site history:
1: 1986. QUINNELL, NV / OS
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<1> Henderson, C, 1955-60, Ecclesiastical Antiquities of the 109 parishes of West Cornwall & Ecclesiastical History of the 4 Western Hundreds, (NS) VOL 32, 262 (Article in Journal). SCO3499.

<2> Lane-Davies, A, 1970, Holy Wells of Cornwall, 84 (Bibliographic reference). SCO3814.

<3> Sheppard, PA, 1980, The Historic Towns of Cornwall, 24 (Report). SCO4422.

<4> Meyrick, J, 1982, A Pilgrims Guide to the Holy Wells of Cornwall, 139 (Bibliographic reference). SCO3936.

<5> Historic England, Alternative Action Report, Parkes, C. 2001 (Report). SCO31674.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

Related records: none recorded

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