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Summary

Pond probably containing a well dating from at least the 17th century and which was mentioned during the Siege of Donnington Castle

Associated Legal Designations or Protected Status

• Registered Park or Garden (II) 1000534: Donnington Grove

Monument Type(s):

• WELL (17th century to Late 19th century - 1601 AD? to 1900 AD)
• POND (Late 19th century to Early 21st century - 1871 AD to 2050 AD)

Full Description

A well is marked 250m to the north-west of Donnington Castle on the Shaw and Donnington tithe map of 1838 <1>. It is located within a clearing on the east side of Castle Wood. An oval enclosure and access track are depicted here, but not named, on the First to Third Edition OS maps of 1880 <2> and 1912 <3>, respectively. It is named as a pond on the Fifth Edition OS map of 1969 <4> and on early 21st century mapping <5>.

The site was visited by a local resident in September 2021 <6>, who reported that there is not much to see of the well, but suggested that its structure may have survived within the pond.

The first edition of Money's, 'The First and Second Battles of Newbury' <7>, in 1881 states the following (in double quote marks):

"The Royalist journal, 'Mercurius Aulicus' for Sunday, Nov.17 1644, gives the following account of some affairs as then reported;— 'The Rebells sped so ill at downright fighting that they now practise a new way of murther, for we are certainly advised from Donnington Castle, that when the Rebells close besieged the place, they hyred a souldier to poyson their Well on the north of the Castle, which lay without the workes, between the Rebel’s trenches and the workes. This souldier having informed the rebels that the Well was most necessary for the support of the garrison received his twenty shillings (for that was all this poor Rebel demanded ), and in the night time conveyed the poyson down the Well, but next morning the commander (toucht it seems with horror of the fact) sent a Drum with a letter to Sir John Boys to give notice what was done. The Governor returned thanks to their Commander, and at first fit opportunity drew 40 musqueteers out of the Castle, and in the face of the rebels cleaned the Well, taking out the bag of poyson, and digging it deeper. After which time we kept the Well in despight of the Rebels, and to make try all whether or no the Well was truely poysoned, we tryed the experiment upon a Horse, which having drunk of it, swell’d and dyed whithin 24 hours.' A Well in the position indicated has recently been discovered on the north-west side of the Castle, about 400 yards from the buildings. By the nature of the ground it is screened from observation of an enemy posted on Snelsmore Common; so that the garrison could obtain water thence without exposure or difficulty."

Sources and further reading

Related Monuments

Associated Excavations and Fieldwork

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