Summary
On the NE slope of Grabbist hill is a stone lined access well to a cavernous structure. A stone lintel above the entry doorway can be seen but the access is blocked by soil and leaf litter. Standing water can be seen within and the structue is thought to be a cistern to collect spring water.
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Monument Types
- CISTERN? (Early 18th C to Late 19th C - 1701 AD to 1900 AD)
Description
About half-way down the NE slope of Grabbist hill on the south edge of a track is a stone lined access well measuring 3m long and 1.5m wide to a cavernous structure. A stone lintel above the entry doorway can be seen but the access is blocked by soil and leaf litter. Standing water can be seen within and the structue is thought to be a cistern to collect spring water. Immediately uphill of the access well is a hollow about 10m long 5m wide and 1m deep aligned NE-SW with spoil piled to the NW. The site lies within woodland and the access well and earthworks are under the tree canopy. Across the track on the NE side is a gulley about 2m wide and 0.5m deep running down hill to the NE for about 15m. This is possibly related. The main track through the wood to the NE lies about 20m NW of the site and leads downhill to a minor road to Dunster which follows the contour of the hill. On the south side of this is a small stone stucture with a pitched stone roof known as St Leonards Well (SS9850643870). This is about 250m NE of the supposed cistern. These structures may be related and originate as part of the water source/ conduit house for Dunster Priory. The sites were visited June 24th 2013 by Martin Papworth and Paul Camp.
Research by Mary Siraut of the Victoria County History and Hilary Binding has revealed cisterns being built near Gallox Well in the early 18th century. A conduit house near Priory Farm is described in 1739 when Edward Lott took over the management of the pipes in return for a rent reduction. Mary thinks the water may have come from St Leonards Well along Conduit Lane. In 1777 the old pipes were relaid and covered and new ones added. In 1870 G.F. Luttrell created a reservoir at Broadwood which fed a brick-lined reservoir in the Tor. (Mary Siraut, March 2013 County Editor VCH Somerset 01823 347456)
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