Don’t look down! The well pre-dates the Plough Inn which is being converted into Plau gin bar

Continued restoration work on a former pub in Preston to convert it into a gin bar has uncovered an old well.

Half a metre below the cellar floor the team working on Plau, in Friargate, noticed the opening.

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Jeremy Rowlands, co-owner of Plau and who also owns the Moorbrook in North Road, said they were now working to excavate it.

He said: “We know now that its a very old well and pre-dates the building. It goes back to at least the 1600s and is potentially older still.

“Lancashire County Council’s archaeology department are coming to see it shortly so we will know more than.

“It is fantastic to find such a piece of Preston history. It is easy to forget that Preston dates back more than 1000 years, but so little visual history remains from pre-industrial days.

“It would be great to light the well and have a glass walkway across it when the venue opens. It would also be nice to explore the possibility of using the well for its original purpose and supply water for various uses within the gin bar.”

Artist impression of how Plau bar may look Pic: Rosanna Peploe

The Plau team has made a number of historic finds during the work on the pub.

Related: Plau gin bar in Friargate work continues as team makes interesting discoveries

It’s due to open as a gin bar in September.

What do you think about the well? Looking forward to Plau opening? Let us know in the comments below