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Currently the plaque says :-
“In the early nineteenth century Mr Joseph Brown piped water from this spring to a reservoir in the grounds of Whitby Abbey, to provide a clean and reliable water supply to the east side of Whitby”
Apparently a few years ago there was a different plaque. which read.
T’awd Abba Well
Also known as the old Boiling Well
Lang centuries aback
This wor’t awd Abba Well
Saint Hilda veiled i’ black
Lang centuries aback
Supped frey it an no lack
All t sisterhood as well
Lang centuries aback
This wor’t awd Abba Well
Not the best photos in the world, as I only had a mobile phone with me.
Update January 2009
Sheila Welch has kindly provided some slides of the well taken in the 1970s by her father George Towndrow, these show the original plaque still in place.
Well I never.
I have 2 slides of the Well taken in the ’70s. One is a close up of the old inscription. Happy to post them to you if contact me…
Do you have any information as to why it is called the Boiling Well? Does this have any reference to temperature or is this simply referring to the bubbling up of the spring?
I would say just because its bubbling up.
Having put my hand in, it was stone cold as you might expect.
just came across an old photo we (me and wife to be) took of this plaque on holiday in Easter 1980 but couldn’t remember where or what it was about other than the album was Whitby region. We just revisited the area and our old album. Quick search on Google we picked up your site. Many thanks