We saw this as we were driving by one day and where intrigued. What was it? Who built it? When?
Subsequent research has shown that we were not alone in asking these questions, but answers are very thin on the ground.
It has been shown on the OS map since 1925, but other than that it is a well, it’s all speculation. The name Picket Well has lead to suggestions that it has a connection with the army as picket is a sentry or to tether cavalry horses. Others have suggested a mystical derivation - a corruption of pixies - the well being covered to prevent the pixies getting it. However the best bet is the use in the New Forest area of picket to describe something conical in shape, often a mound or hill, and it certainly applies to this structure!
It is so unique that the English Heritage 'National Monuments Record Centre' was forced to add a new entry to the 'Thesaurus of Monument Types' to cover it. - COVERED WELL, defined as “A well with a superstructure, either partially or wholly enclosed with an access door, designed to protect the water source.”
The best guess is that it was built in the 19th century to house a hydraulic ram to provide water for horse troughs at the Hale estate.
The cache is NOT on or in the structure, but nearby.
The cache is a small cliplock box in a camo bag with swaps and room for TBs and coins..
This cache forms part of our first series which consists of 9 traditional caches of various sizes near Hale and Woodgreen. You can do them all as a circular walk of about 4km through a variety of different environments. There are short stretches on minor roads, so take care, but it is mostly on footpaths.
We suggest you park near the Church Micro on the circuit (St Mary’s Hale GC45Y2W), or near the Avon Valley Path on Woodgreen Common, if you want to do them all.
The caches on the route are (in order) St Mary’s Hale, Lime Avenue, Mistletoe Path, Picket Well, Holly Bridge, Higherend, Shady Corner, Under the Oak Tree, Moot Lane.
We hope you enjoy the walk.