What is recorded here
Indicated was a small stone well in County Meath, Ireland, hidden in a dip between two hillocks and approached by six steps. People called it Meara Well, and it still belonged to the land after surviving through medieval times. Its narrow chamber held water, memory and the ordinary patience of stones.
The well known locally as Meara Well was c. 60m SW of the Man-made underground passage (ME025-003----), at the base of the slope and in a fold between two hillocks. It is depicted only on the 1908 edition of the OS 6-inch map and it was excavated (E000332) by K. Campbell (2004) in advance of mining works (excavations.ie 1986:065). This was a stone-built rectangular structure (dims 1.3m NW-SE; 0.9m NE-SW) approached by six descending steps from the NW that had a modern skim of concrete, although the well is medieval. Artefacts recovered from the area of the well include a copper alloy pin with a watchwinder head, a saddle quern and rubbing stone from a disturbed peat context together with a round scraper and a piece of bronze from the same context. Two sherds of medieval pottery were from a stony clay over the peat.
See the attached illustrations from Campbell (2004, figs 2, 3) _01 contour survey; _02 plan of well
Compiled by: Michael Moore
Date of upload: 29 March 2023
Campbell, K. 2004 Report on Archaeological Excavation at Randalstown, Co. Meath, in 1986. Licence: E000332. Unpublished report, Author.
The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.
- What survives
- Recorded monument
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