Springhead Structure And 4 Troughs

The site comprises a late 18th-century springhead structure and four stone troughs. It is constructed of sandstone and has a plan in the shape of an inverted 'L', with a curving return wall and a linear arrangement of stone troughs.

The springhead structure is formed by two retaining walls made of coursed sandstone blocks, topped with rounded coping stones, with a curving return providing revetment. The east wall features a deep rectangular recess with a partly chamfered lintel. Inside this recess is a springhead and a deep stone trough. The remains of iron fixings indicate a former wooden door was positioned to the left of the recess, and a chain-mounted cup to the right. Water flows from the first stone trough into a crude narrow channel cut into a large, flat stone set against the north retaining wall, and then into the first of three stone troughs arranged in a line. Each trough features a crudely cut outflow to allow water to pass from one to the next.

The site’s water feature is depicted on the Chesterwood Enclosure Award of 1792, when it was retained within common land. The springhead structure is also visible on the first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1863 and subsequent maps. Historically, the spring provided water for both animals and domestic use for the nearby hamlet of Chesterwood, with the domestic supply accessed through the recess and animal use from the troughs. Chesterwood originally consisted of defensive farmhouses, known as bastles, dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, six of which remain. These bastles provided shelter from Scottish incursions. The hamlet now primarily consists of a post-medieval farmstead and a group of at least six bastles arranged around a rectangular green.

The springhead structure and troughs are designated for their intact nature, dating to before 1840. They exemplify a traditional village water supply system, increasingly rare nationally, and have historical interest as a surviving element of medieval and post-medieval village life. They also have strong group value with the five listed bastles, three of which are designated as scheduled ancient monuments.