News from The Barnet Society

Several visitors at the first open day of the refurbished Barnet Physic Well fulfilled a lifetime’s ambition to descend the steps to see how the underground well chamber might have appeared when the renowned diarist Samuel Pepys drank its water in the 1660s.

Barnet’s historic wellhouse, which houses one of the best-preserved medicinal wells in the country, has been restored to its full mock-Tudor glory.

Years of uncertainty about the ownership of Barnet Museum and the future of Barnet’s historic physic well have both been successfully resolved after sustained efforts by volunteers and well-wishers.

On his first visit to Barnet, Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, was on the warpath at the 1471 Battle of Barnet – five centuries later his namesake was back in the town joining the fight to preserve Barnet’s historic legacy.

After years of neglect and decay, Historic England has commissioned a detailed survey of the work required to repair and conserve Barnet’s historic physic well, in Well Approach, just a short walk from Barnet Hospital.

 Visitors queued up for opening time at Barnet’s historic well house – not for a drink, but a rare chance to descend the twelve steps to see the tanks of the old physic well.

Barnet’s historic physic well, visited by Samuel Pepys, will be open to the public on Saturday 19 March offering a rare chance to walk down the brick-built stairway to see the tanks filled by spring water.

Torchlight tour of Barnet’s historic physic well but is another historic building at risk?  Local residents had a rare opportunity to see inside Barnet’s historic physic well when Barnet Museum organised an open day at the well house, a short walk from Barnet Hospital.

Is Barnet in danger of losing another historic link with the past?  The well house protecting the town’s famous physic well is looking decidedly the worse for wear.  Masonry is falling away, one of the walls is disfigured by graffiti and there is not even a sign or notice to say that this is the well