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Spa Well, Shap Wells
Spa Well
site name:-   Shap Wells
civil parish:-   Crosby Ravensworth (formerly Westmorland)
county:-   Cumbria
locality type:-   spring
locality type:-   spa
locality type:-   well
locality type:-   drinking fountain
coordinates:-   NY57780972
1Km square:-   NY5709
10Km square:-   NY50
references:-   Listed Buildings 2010

photograph
BJQ62.jpg  The 'well' at Shap Wells hotel.
(taken 22.7.2005)  
photograph
BVK19.jpg  The 'well' at Shap Wells hotel.
(taken 23.9.2011)  
evidence:-   old map:- OS County Series (Wmd 21 10) 
placename:-  Spa Well
source data:-   Maps, County Series maps of Great Britain, scales 6 and 25 inches to 1 mile, published by the Ordnance Survey, Southampton, Hampshire, from about 1863 to 1948.
evidence:-   descriptive text:- West 1778 (11th edn 1821) 
placename:-  Shap Spaw
source data:-   Guide book, A Guide to the Lakes, by Thomas West, published by William Pennington, Kendal, Cumbria once Westmorland, and in London, 1778 to 1821.
image WS21P175, button  goto source
Page 175:-  "..."
"... at a small distance to the east from these stones a spring, called Shap-spaw, in smell and taste like that of Harrowgate, and much frequented by the people of the country for scorbutic complaints, and eruptions of the skin. ..."
evidence:-   old text:- Camden 1789 (Gough Additions) 
placename:-  
source data:-   Book, Britannia, or A Chorographical Description of the Flourishing Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland, by William Camden, 1586, translated from the 1607 Latin edition by Richard Gough, published London, 1789.
image CAM2P161, button  goto source
Page 161:-  "..."
"... in the parish of Crosby Ravensworth, by the side of the river Birkbeck, was discovered some few years ago a spa, now known by the name of Shap well, to which in summer is a considerable resort. It is impregnated with sulphur and smells like rotten eggs, and has been found serviceable in scorbutic disorders."
evidence:-   old map:- Otley 1818
placename:-  Spaw
source data:-   Map, uncoloured engraving, The District of the Lakes, Cumberland, Westmorland, and Lancashire, scale about 4 miles to 1 inch, by Jonathan Otley, 1818, engraved by J and G Menzies, Edinburgh, Scotland, published by Jonathan Otley, Keswick, Cumberland, et al, 1833.
image
OT02NY51.jpg
Marked by a circle for a well or spring. 
item:-  JandMN : 48.1
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   descriptive text:- Otley 1823 (5th edn 1834) 
source data:-   Guide book, A Concise Description of the English Lakes, the mountains in their vicinity, and the roads by which they may be visited, with remarks on the mineralogy and geology of the district, by Jonathan Otley, published by the author, Keswick, Cumberland now Cumbria, by J Richardson, London, and by Arthur Foster, Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria, 1823; published 1823-49, latterly as the Descriptive Guide to the English Lakes.
image OT01P116, button  goto source
"Four miles before reaching Shap, a road turns off to Shap Wells, at the distance of a mile. This is stated by Mr. Alderson, to be a most genial and sanative saline spring; milder than the Harrowgate Purgative Spaw, more active than the Gilsland Water, and in its properties nearly allied to that of Leamington. A spacious Hotel has lately been erected near the place, with Baths and every accommodation for visitors."
evidence:-   descriptive text:- Ford 1839 (3rd edn 1843) 
source data:-   Guide book, A Description of Scenery in the Lake District, by Rev William Ford, published by Charles Thurnam, Carlisle, by W Edwards, 12 Ave Maria Lane, Charles Tilt, Fleet Street, William Smith, 113 Fleet Street, London, by Currie and Bowman, Newcastle, by Bancks and Co, Manchester, by Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh, and by Sinclair, Dumfries, 1839.
image FD01P141, button  goto source
Page 141:-  "..."
"[Shap] ... the Wells, which have lately become a place of genteel resort. ..."
evidence:-   old print:- Bemrose 1881
source data:-   Print, uncoloured, The Pump, Spa Well, Shap Wells, Crosby Ravensworth, Westmorland, published by Bemrose and Sons, 23 Old Bailey, London and Derby, by A B Moss, Carlisle, Cumberland, and by T Wilson, Kendal, Westmorland, about 1881.
image  click to enlarge
BEM127.jpg
On p.103 of a Handy Guide to the English Lakes and Shap Spa. 
printed at bottom:-  "THE PUMP."
item:-  JandMN : 455.29
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old print:- Philip/Wilson 1890s
source data:-   Print, engraving, the pump at the Spa Well, Shap Wells Hotel, Crosby Ravensworth, published by George Philip and Son, London, Philip, Son and Nephew, Liverpool, Lancashire, and Titus Wilson, Kendal, Westmorland, about 1895.
image  click to enlarge
PW1E38.jpg
"THE PUMP."
item:-  JandMN : 58.39
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old text:- Harper 1907
source data:-   Guidebook, The Manchester and Glasgow Road, by Charles G Harper, published by Chapman and Hall Ltd, London, 1907.
HP01p112.txt
Page 112:-  "..."
"Dr. Granville, who wrote a work on English spas in 1845, came in due course to Shap Wells, and remarks justly upon the wild and remote situation of the wells and the hotel, but he does not lay any stress upon the truly awful ancient-egg flavour of the medicinal waters, which if their medicinal virtues be in proportion to their taste, must needs be very remarkably curative. He talks rather of the colour scheme of the water, than of bouquet, and waxes eloquent on its bluish, opalescent hue. He was here in the height of summer, and found at the hotel a "lady sitting at a roasting fire (of which by-the-by I was glad to partake also) on the 6th of August." But notwithstanding the curious taste and flavour of the waters, the hotel is greatly frequented. It is not the waters, but the bracing air, that now forms the attraction."
evidence:-   drawing:- Butler 1982-92
source data:-   Spa Well, Shap Wells drawn by David Butler
courtesy of David Butler
image  click to enlarge
PR1460.jpg
item:-  private collection : 377
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   database:- Listed Buildings 2010
placename:-  Spa Well Pavilion
source data:-  
courtesy of English Heritage
"SPA WELL PAVILION AND PUMP HEAD TO NORTH WEST OF SHAP WELLS HOTEL (AT NGR NY 578 097) / / / CROSBY RAVENSWORTH / EDEN / CUMBRIA / II / 74069 / NY5780009700"
source data:-  
courtesy of English Heritage
"Pavilion enclosing pump-head to spa well; probably mid/late C19. Open pavilion of octagonal wooden uprights, with upper angle braces, on chamfered octagonal stone plinth blocks. Pyramidal roof of fish-scaled welsh slate with pointed wooden finial; planked underside with cornice. Octagonal in plan. Pumphead on stone step: Squat octagonal stone pillar is carried up as basin with flared sides; turned wooden post in centre of basin originally supported pump handle. Disused at time of survey (October 1984)."

photograph
BVJ97.jpg  courtesy of Ed Henderson
photograph
BVJ98.jpg  courtesy of Ed Henderson
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