The natural spring, which reaches 250 feet into the earth, was tapped by the local Mining Machinery and Improvement Company in the early 1900s.
Entrusted to Kent Wildlife Trust since 1982, the well has been a highlight for visitors and walkers who refill their water bottles while exploring the natural landscape.
Local sailors are also said to drink from the well, and the surrounding marshland and wildlife rely on the spring’s flowing water.
Over the past few decades, Kent Wildlife Trust have carried out extensive work to make the marshland one of the top bird watching sites in the county, and the freshwater that the well provides attracts internationally important numbers of waders and wildfowl, including lapwing, golden plover and snipe.
The traditional grazing marsh is criss-crossed with dykes and open water scrapes flanked by tall reeds that rely on the well’s freshwater and on a good day, visitors can spot common seals in the Swale estuary.
The water at the well stopped flowing at the end of last year and months of investigative work followed to identify the problem and find a solution.
South East Water’s lead hydrogeologist visited the well and advised Kent Wildlife Trust to reline the 100+ year-old cast-iron pipework.
After recommending some skilled local contractors, Kent Wildlife Trust has now identified their preferred contractor and successfully applied for funding from the council.
Funding was also received from The H R Pratt Boorman Family Foundation and a local band called Touch the Earth.
