The Well House, The Citadel

The Citadel was the stronghold of the Western Heights; it served as the storehouse for the entire fortification and would have been the place of final retreat should the Heights have come under attack. The well on the grounds of the Citadel would have been a vital source of water, especially in a battle situation.  It is 403 feet deep and would have been able to supply water to all 7000 men barracked at the Western Heights.

As the Citadel is still in use by the Home Office, it has retained many original features and gives a very good idea of how other features around the Heights would have looked before they were deserted.  The well house is on two levels; all the flooring, window frames and other features are original to their construction period of 1805 – 1815.  The bottom level was the gun floor, covering fire along the surrounding ditch towards the outer bastion.