Historicaleigh: Dobbin's Well

January 24, 2017 by Carole Mulroney

Dobbin's Well was in Torquay Drive. Apparently it was a wonderful spring and in 1863/64 saved the town from a terrible drought at the time when the pump on the Strand went wrong. A story told by Canon King was that someone who had indulged in 'one over the top' had thrown the carcass of a pig down the well, but the Canon believed the horrible taste was due to a leakage of the tide getting into the water.

Canon King also had concerns about a memorable spot at the entrance to Dobbin's Field in the corner of where the farmer stacked his manure. The drainage from the heap, when frozen, provided a notorious slide called the 'Juicy'.  This was close to where the Wesleyan Church is in Elm Road.