A MAN has discovered a 200-year-old well in the back garden of his Worcester home – much to his surprise and that of city historians.

Builders working on a side extension to Gordon Reid’s house in Sandys Road uncovered the immaculately preserved well – a metre wide and about eight metres deep – which it is believed would have supplied water to the neighbourhood in years gone by.

Mr Reid said: “Our house is Victorian and the builders were digging a trench for the new foundations for a side extension.

“The builders and I were excited and interested because of the local history.”

Worcester City Council’s archaeology department said believed the well was one of a number in the area.

But James Dinn, archaeology officer, said the address had no indication on his maps showing there was a pump.

“Before mains pipe water came in before the 20th century, everyone had some sort of a well,” he said.

“Further down the road there are pumps shown and, by the look of it, it was a joint water supply for the houses in the area.”

Mr Reid has been advised that as he does not live in a listed property, he can deal with the well however he sees fit.

However, because of the proposed location of the extension, he said he could not make it a unique water feature.

“Unfortunately I can’t make a feature out of it as it’s right in line of the new build,” he said.

A structural engineer has already visited the property to assess the situation and said the well, which still has water at the bottom, needs to be filled with aggregate and capped with concrete before work on foundations for the new extension are able to continue.