Image credit: Peter O'Connor (anemoneprojectors) / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0 · 2013-07-28 ↗
Chalybeate Well
Hampstead · Hampstead · Expansion route discovery
Story
This small monument marks the spot that gave rise to Hampstead's fame as a spa town. The iron-rich waters of this spring were known locally, but in 1698, the Hon. Susanna Noel and her son Baptist, third Earl of Gainsborough, gave the well and six acres of land for the benefit of Hampstead’s poor. From that moment, the spring became the focal point for an ambitious project to transform the village into a fashionable spa. The monument you see today is not from 1698. It was erected in 1882 by H. S. Legg to commemorate that original gift. Its inscription allows you to read the story directly in the stone. What is particularly interesting about this place is the disproportion between this modest object and its far-reaching consequences. This little fountain helps to explain why, during the eighteenth century, Hampstead began to attract visitors who came to drink the waters, stroll, and socialise. Without this well, streets like Flask Walk and Well Walk might seem merely attractive; with it, they are revealed as surviving traces of a spa economy and culture that once flourished here.
What to look for
Look for the central inscription on the monument. It names Susanna Noel and her son Baptist, gives the date 1698, and details the gift of the well along with six acres of land.
Secret detail
The monument you see today is a Victorian memorial from 1882, but the spa story it commemorates began almost two centuries earlier.
Where exactly
On the south side of Well Walk, opposite Well Passage. The monument is situated between two flights of steps.
Orientation
Stand on the north side of Well Walk and look south to take in the complete fountain, the flanking steps, and the inscription.
Why it matters
This unassuming monument reveals how a small spring transformed Hampstead, shaping its urban and social development into a fashionable destination.
Access & opening
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Accessibility
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