In the small Chiltern village of Stoke Row stands the Maharajah�s Well - a most unexpected sight for such a small place. The local squire, Mr Edward Reade, had worked with the Maharajah of Benares in India for many years in the mid nineteenth century and, in 1831, had sunk a well to aid a local community in Azimurgh. When Mr Reade left the area in 1860, he asked the Maharajah to ensure that the well remained available to the public. A couple of years later the Maharajah decided on an endowment in England. He recalled Mr Reade's generosity in 1831 and also remembered his stories of water deprivation in his home area of Ipsden. And so the well in Stoke Row duly came about. It was 4 feet round and 368 feet deep, all dug by hand, more than twice the height of Nelson's Column. The well and superstructure cost £353 13s 7d. The elephant and machinery cost a further £39 10s. The well keepers cottage, by comparison, cost a modest £74 14s 6d. The well remained in use for over 70 years. (Text edited from the history on Stoke Rows website) You can read a little more of the history HERE. ------------------------------------------ Original Photograph 21-Jul-2010