Woodingdean Water Well

The Woodingdean Water Well stands just outside Nuffield Hospital in Woodingdean, a suburb of Brighton and Hove. It is the deepest hand-dug well anywhere, reaching 390 metres down. The shaft is lined with 278,000 bricks set by hand. Work began in 1858 and took four years to finish. The well was dug to supply water for the local workhouse. The well’s brief working life lasted only four years after completion. Once the workhouse was connected to the mains supply in the 1860s, the well was abandoned. Despite this, it gained lasting fame as the setting for the climax of Simon Mayo’s Itch series. In the stories, the protagonist hides a dangerous radioactive element deep inside the well. Visitors today see a circular brick shaft capped by a metal grille. The site sits on a quiet stretch of ground beside the hospital grounds. A low fence surrounds the opening, keeping the well safe while allowing a clear view. The surrounding area is ordinary suburban, making the sheer depth of the shaft even more striking.