A medieval well believed to date back centuries has been discovered in "excellent condition" during a £400,000 revamp of a department store in the cathedral city of Ripon, North Yorkshire.
The 42ft (12.8m) well was uncovered by contractors carrying out groundwork for a new courtyard at the Halls of Ripon Department Store. Builder Paul Fountain, assisted by mountaineering instructor Pete Breckon, abseiled down the shaft using climbing ropes, describing the experience as "mind-blowing". He believes he may have been the first person to enter the well in hundreds of years, noting the stonework was "top notch".
Robert Sterne, whose firm Sterne Properties is leading the works, said: "The plan is to put a secure reinforced glass cover on it and make the well a special feature." Barry Cooper, director of Halls of Ripon, called the discovery "a welcome bonus" to the transformation plans.
Richard Taylor, chair of Ripon Civic Society, described the find as "impressive" and highlighted its rarity in the city centre. "We've got things like St Wilfrid's Well down below the Spa Gardens, but that's more of a well coming out of the rockface rather than a deep well," he said.
Ripon, known for its wool trading past and bustling Saturday market, also boasts a historic racecourse and is close to the Yorkshire Dales and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Studley Royal Park and Fountains Abbey.
