Kingswear Wishing Well

Wishing well. Gavin (Atlas Obscura User)

Converted from a horse-drinking trough, this roadside wishing well apparently has a good track record of making wishes come true. It was converted to a wishing well by a local resident, the late Colonel Toms.

Among the wishes that have been said to have come true have been wishes for the successful single-handed, non-stop circumnavigation of the world in a sailing boat.

Kingswear is a charming village that has some beautiful views across the river. It’s set opposite the town of Dartmouth and located on the east side of the River Dart.

The fountain is located in the roadside retaining wall opposite the railway station where the Brunel designed, Paignton, and Dartmouth Steam Railway terminates. It’s also a short distance from the dock for the passenger ferry across the River Dart to Dartmouth.

Money raised from the wishing well is distributed by the Kingswear Parrish Council to local and other charities.

Know Before You Go

The well is located opposite Kingswear railway station and can be seen at any time. All that is visible is a black plate with a coin slot in it.

Note that it is behind the queue for the ferry, so at busy times it may be necessary to wait for the ferry traffic to clear before it becomes accessible.