A water feature with a difference has sprung up behind a Suffolk pub after it was inadvertently uncovered during a routine beer delivery.
Jamie Rudd and his partner, Claire, only arrived to take charge of the Three Mariners pub, in Trimley St Mary, seven weeks ago.
But the pair soon discovered the pub was hiding a very deep, dark secret in the shape of a centuries-old well covered up by a slab of concrete.
During an otherwise ordinary beer delivery, the concrete was disturbed outside to reveal the undiscovered water hole, thought to date back to the late 18th or early 19th century.
The well, which drops a perilous 30ft to the water level, was constructed using hundreds of specially curved bricks.
Not much else is known about its origin by Mr Rudd, who also has no idea when the concrete was laid to conceal the well.
“How it was discovered was a bit of an accident,” he said.
“The dray man was rolling a barrel along and it hit the concrete. Then he stood on it and it just broke away under his foot.
“We got a surveyor out and they said it could be from the late 1700s or early 1800s.
“A bit of art has clearly gone into the brickwork going down.”
Mr Rudd, who used to run a pub at Gatwick Airport, has not yet decided what to do with the well, but he hopes it could become something of a feature for the Three Mariners.
“What happens to it is really down to the maintenance company,” he said.
“It would be nice to give it an arched roof and hang a bucket from it.
“It’s a bit too deep to go down and find out what’s at the bottom.”
Mr Rudd’s partner, Claire, has already started looking into the history of the pub and discovered it was once used as a coroner’s court.
According to the Suffolk branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), the current building dates from the late 18th century. Before that, the local pub was on another site.
It was originally called New Inn but renamed to honour the return of Trimley-born Thomas Cavendish, who was the first man to command a ship with the express purpose of circumnavigating the world.
If you can shed any light on the history of the Three Mariners pub well, write to us at 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich IP4 1AN.
You can also call the newsroom on 01473 324735 or email newsroom@archant.co.uk
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