[janwhin]

Now here's an interesting reference in 1876. The inspector has been having a look at the "Douglas Well" in Amble where a pumping station and a line of water main was proposed to provide water to Radcliffe. The well had been sunk by Mr Douglas 30 years previously and never run out of water.
However he had received a letter which described what the writer believed to be the Douglas Well....situated on the right hand side of the road leading to the shore, or nearly opposite the Coquet Leazes. If that was the case, the supply of water came from an accumulation of water in some old and abandoned pit workings. The letter writer claimed that the seam of coal worked had been very thin...20 to 30 ins. in thickness and worked for the use of the salt works on the links near the present works of Mr Henderson. He didn't think the supply would be reliable.
The inspector confirmed that the supposition was correct in relation to old coal workings but that the supply of water had been good and continuous for over 30 years.