Mineral Water Factory • Wells-next-the-Sea

 In the Domesday book of 1086 the town is named Guella. It is derived from the Anclican Wella, meaning a Spring. In fact, there were several spring wells coming up through the chalk bedrock here and for a long time this place was simply referred to as ‘Wells’. At some point during the medieval period, it began to acquire the ‘next-the-Sea’ to distinguish it from the other settlements called Wells.

 In the early 20th century, this was the Mineral Water Factory. The building and the one behind in Claxton’s Yard were built in 1920 for the Bullen Brothers, who made mineral water. Within a couple of years they had gone into bankruptcy and the site was taken over by Mr Claxton. The factory obtained its water from a well here, to which minerals were added before bottling. It wasn’t always plain sailing, as at one point the little factory was pumping so much of the water that there was a shortage at nearby other businesses, including the gasworks and local hospital.

 

The water mixing took place on the first floor and bottling on the ground floor. It would then be stored in the warehouse at the back before distribution. The firm was forced to close in 1974 when, among other things, there were cuts to sugar allocation, which was used in the process. Along with other material price rises, it was no longer profitable. It was then converted to housing, which it remains to this day.

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