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I have experienced this in several cases, and will detail one. A local antiquarian (Mr. W. Pitley) always maintained that there had been an ancient spring--the Bewell spring--close to Bewell House and the Hereford Brewery within the City. When I lived there with my father we knew nothing of it. But about a year ago the present owners in sinking a new deep well and building a new engine house, uncovered the following inscription cut in stone in the base of the brewery wall, but covered by a rockery in my time:--
Well, 71 FEET, 1724.
I had always felt that the derivation given for the place name Bewell Street as Behind-the-wall Street was an error.
There is a hill on the Canon Pyon road called Bewley or Bewdley Pitch. Solely on account of my surmise that the Bew-ley might lead to the Bew-well, I tried a line on the map and found a ley exactly falling on this "pitch" (or steep road) passing from the north through Bishops Moat (west of Bishops Castle), Meer Oak, Bucknell Church, Street Court, Stretford Churchyard, and Birley Churchyard, and exactly over the site of the well. Southwards over Palace Ford, Dinedor Camp, Caradock, Picts Cross, Hom Green Cross, Walford Church, Leys Hill, Speech House; there being numerous confirmations in fragments of road.