Have you ever been to Upwey Wishing Well? Whether your local or not this little hidden gem is really worth a trip.

by Dream Cottages / Area Guides

Upwey is a little village just on the outskirts of Weymouth and maybe where all your wishes could come true…. The ‘wishing well’ is sourced by a spring thought to be the most powerful in the South of England.

This is what makes the water gardens so lush. The water is thought to have possessing therapeutic properties (the scenery around the area is defiantly very therapeutic in my opinion!)

For centuries, the well has enjoyed royal patronage. The former Prince of Wales (briefly King Edward VIII) visited in August 1923, having previously had the water sent to him, presumably by train which to this day still stops at the nearby Upwey Halt.

King George III also visited on a number of occasions around 1770. Indeed the seat adjacent to the Wishing Well was added for his comfort and on the third visit he had his feet washed at the foot of the steps where once there was a stone basin for this purpose.

It is also believed that the gold cup from which he drank the waters later became the original Ascot Gold Cup given to the winner of this prestigious flat race held annually in June.

Exactly when the springs at Upwey became known as the ‘Wishing Well’ is unclear but it is mentioned as such as far back as 1874 in the novel ‘Broken Bonds’.

People have been ‘taking the waters’ at Upwey Wishing Well for centuries. In fact it was so popular that in times gone by two elderly ladies from the village assisted visitors in taking the waters in the ‘correct’ way which involves holding a glass (or indeed a laurel leaf) in your right, standing with your back to the well and sipping the water whilst making a wish. Then throw the remaining water over your left shoulder back into the well. Unfortunately modern environmental health advice discourages people from drinking the water.

After making a wish or two I recommend stopping in at The Tearooms. On offer is a wide range of delicious home-cooked tasty food. You can sit inside or dine al fresco next to the water.

Within easy reach of both Weymouth and Dorchester and just a stone’s throw from other tourist destinations such as Maiden Castle and Thomas Hardy’s cottage at Brockhampton, the tearooms are situated on Church Street in Upwey, being accessible on foot, by car or public transport.