Archaeologists have used a drone to survey the interior of a medieval well at Sheffield Castle, creating a 3D model of the 12.5-metre shaft and showing that it still contains water.
The work was carried out by Wessex Archaeology with specialist company FlyThru on behalf of Sheffield City Council. A drone enclosed in a protective cage was lowered into the well, where it captured hundreds of photographs. The resulting images reveal details of the well’s construction and its position within the castle mound, or Norman motte.
The well is lined with stones near its upper section and extends through solid bedrock. It would have supplied water inside the castle walls, supporting daily life and providing an essential resource during the sieges of the Civil War, according to Wessex Archaeology.
“This was an exciting day at Sheffield Castle,” said Ashley Tuck, a research manager at Wessex Archaeology. He said the well would have been indispensable to people living and working at the castle, particularly during a siege when access to water outside the castle boundaries could have been cut off.
The survey is part of a broader excavation connected with the redevelopment of Castlegate in Sheffield city centre. The site is being transformed into a new green space, with the castle excavation taking place alongside construction work.
The project is led by Sheffield City Council and funded by the national government, the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority and the Environment Agency. Wessex Archaeology is conducting the excavation with oversight from construction engineering specialists Aureos.
The well is expected to remain exposed so that visitors will be able to see it when the new park opens.
