When the octagonal well was first built in 1763 by the Lord of the Manor, Earl Spencer, it was only about thirty feet deep. A horse was set to turn the mechanism that pumped the water up to the storage tank under the dome for use in Wimbledon Park House. In 1798 the decision was taken to deepen the well in order to improve the supply but it took over a year to strike more water – the rush of which then nearly drowned the workmen. The well silted up in the early nineteen century and was finally converted to a dwelling in 1975.
For full details of the walk that includes this odd building, click here. Other interesting places to visit can be found at Rambles from the London Tube
