18 February 2024 , 07:24
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A couple have found a secret 200-year-old well hidden underneath their kitchen.
Cody Allen and her husband Kieran, were astonished to discover the 17ft hole while renovating. Once they explored, they discovered the water store, thought to be centuries-old, still contained crystal-clear liquid.
The pair from Newport, Isle of Wight, couldn’t bear to cover up the feature and decided to find a way to incorporate it into the home. After weeks of hard work, the pair found a way of keeping it intact and transformed it into an impressive kitchen feature.
Twenty-eight-year-old Cody said:, “It was not what we expected when I was due to give birth in eight weeks' time.
Kieran with the well during the renovation (Jam Press)
The well when it was discovered in the kitchen. (Jam Press)"It’s around 17ft deep and had crystal clear water in it once we had opened it up. Initially, we were shocked. It’s the last thing you want to find at the end of your renovation and the new kitchen had already been installed. We thought shall we just fill it in - but it was in such amazing condition it would have been such a waste."
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The home had been built over the well around 200 years ago. However, the couple were shocked to discover it, claiming there was no mention of it existing in the deeds of the property. Kieran, who runs a construction company crew dug down over a metre before he and his work crew added 18 courses of bricks.
The well during the renovation (Jam Press)
The well after the work was completed (Jam Press)Cody’s father Alan Dickinson, 49 also helped out. They then added lighting and a glass cover on top. The pair said it cost between £5,000 and £10,000 to transform a well into a house feature, depending on the size. Cody added: “My husband has his own construction business and he and his team were able to carry out all the work in a couple of weeks, complying with building regulations.
The completed job after the well discovery (Jam Press)
Cody and husband Kieran (Jam Press)”My dad actually came and helped and he built the well up by 18 courses of bricks to bring it to floor level. We then got the electrician to wire in the lighting. The glass was difficult to find but a mainland company was able to source it. The first piece failed its safety test so we’ve only had the glass in three weeks now. We had to keep it covered and secured so our dogs don’t get too curious."