Standish Wells
15th December, 2006
In the old Standish market place stands an elaborate well house. Six pillars support the canopy which covers stone steps leading down to a trough which once contained a constant supply of fresh water. It is said the water flowed into the trough through the mouth of a cast iron lion's head.
This is the second reconstruction of the well house since it became redundant with the coming of piped water in 1898.
The first reconstruction was made in 1930. Unfortunately this was demolished by a U.S. military vehicle in 1943. (I'm sure it was only co-incidence that the well stood close to several of Standish's many hostelries.) For the next forty-five years the site was marked only by a plaque.
In the 1990s a great effort was made to restore the well house again. The canopy, pillars and iron rails were remade and set in situ and Wigan Archaeological Society were asked to investigate the site. In late 1998 they exposed the steps leading down into the well and eventually the trough which had contained the water. The lion's head was not found, but above the trough was a strange, protruding, rounded stone which may have had the lion's head attached to it. There was evidence to suggest that a pipe channelled water through the protrusion.
On Saturday, 27th November, 1998, an account of the newly reconstructed well was included in Standish's "Lancashire Day" celebrations.
Hic Bibe Well
The 1763 Standish Manor map shows a well called the "Hic Bibe" situated about a mile to the north of Standish village centre. The Latin in this form means "drink here". This is probably a reference to the quality of the water. As the name of the well is in Latin, it has been suggested that it was named by the monks of Cockersand Abbey who once owned the land. This is unlikely as the abbey is many miles from the well and the monks would know it only by its description in a charter.
In later times the well was called the "Hic Bibi", which means "I drank here." Some say it was Oliver Cromwell who named it when he tasted its waters as he passed through the district during the time of the Civil War. Again this is an unlikely explanation. Why would he name it in Latin, and why would anyone in Wigan follow the lead of the dreaded enemy?
The reason for the name must remain a mystery.
The well disappeared during commercial excavation of sand. A stone now marks its location.