The following questions have been asked more than once and have been listed here for reference.
Why create this site?
Honestly, plenty of people have asked me about the well, so this seemed the next logical step.
Is there water in the well?
In short, no. There is no bore-hole within the well, so the only water in there is after heavy rainfall where the water is still draining away.
How long did it take to design?
About 2 months in total, with 6 different variations designed.
Why did you use brick to make it?
An all-wooden design was considered, but the goal was to have it look like a traditional brick well. It is also incredibly windy here!
How much did it cost?
In total it was around £3000 for everything.
Why did you change the slate tile layout?
The original fitting meant there were very few tiles and very little overlap, which didn't look right. Using smaller tiles and overlapping them more gives it a more traditional feel.
Can you make wishes with it?
While it was designed as a "wishing well", there isn't anywhere to put any money sadly.
Has it ever been damaged?
Sadly yes. In early 2020 two teenagers decided to break it, however the damage was repaired a few days later.
Who made it for you?
It was made by Rob at
Stonecold AC & Building Services (click the name to open their website), who also fitted the air-conditioning in the property.
What is with the garden animals?
To try and add more garden variety to the neighbourhood the front garden was redesigned/landscaped to have a selection of plants and different animal representations. This includes a number of sheep, ducks, peacocks, and turtles.
Where did you get your fencing from?
It was another project that Rob @ Stonecold (see above) made for the property.
Why does your live view look bright at night?
The camera is able to show colour in the dark, though it will look slightly grainy at night.
How are you monitoring the power of your Christmas lights?
The lights are on a separate power circuit within the house which has a power monitor attached. The current is calculated every 5 seconds and logged, while the website retrieves this value every 30 seconds.
Are you accepting donations for the Christmas lights?
If you click on the Xmas link at the top of the page you can see the charity link for this year. Any donation (big or small) would be appreciated and will help those in need.
How much electricity was used for the Christmas lights?
For 2020 the consumed power usage was around £8 (yes, less than £10). LED lights are incredibly power-efficient, even at scale. For 2021 the consumed power usage was a little under £25, to which a large portion of it was the train charging.
Where did you get your gravel from?
It's called Black Ice and it can be purchased from
Stone Warehouse (go for the 1-tonne bags).
How long did it take you to put out the decorations?
For 2020 it took 2 days to get everything out and ready. For 2021 it took 5 days to get all of the decorations out and fitted, with a significant amount of time being spent on building the railway track and train depot.