Built 1800's. Located near the Royal Cricketers Arms, Reservoir Road, Prospect.
A typical stone-capped beehive well built in the 1800's. There
were once many of them scattered around the region, however very few
remain. This particular example is in a poor state and has been sealed with concrete sometime since 1900.
The beehive well top is built in a Flemish style and constructed from river sand and limestone.
Rainwater would collect in the well, staying cool. A square at the top
allowed one to dip a bucket into the well. The beehive cover also helped
keep the water clean.
This particular well is located on land that in the 1880's belonged to
Thomas Roberts and prior to that belonged to Henry Neeves who settled
in the area in the early 1850's. The exact location is unknown, however
Henry Neeves' property included the area now occupied by the Royal
Cricketer's Arms and the Blacktown Drive-in Theatre. The site appears
to be on RTA property and if this is so, it would be near the M4
Motorway which is behind the Drive-In. The well was almost certainly
used by the Neeves & Robert's families although its style and
materials suggests a much earlier date of construction, likely in the
early 1800's.
Sources:
RTA Will Check Old Wel, Blacktown City Advocate, 21st August 2002
Well Site Could be $1 Million Heritage Park, Blacktown City Sun, 27th August 2002