Raglan history unearthed from Rangitahi developments

An exciting discovery was made during the upgrade work of Opotoru Road. A bit of Raglan history was found when an old mission well was discovered in the road reserve, believed to have belonged to the Nihinihi Wesleyan Mission Station.

"Archaeologist Warren Gumley – who is contracted to Rangitahi to oversee the work around the historically significant site – says the well was most likely constructed around the time the mission house was built.

"He says the well is around six-metres deep and was probably another one-metre deeper, and around 1.5-metres wide and was fed by ground water.

There was also evidence of pipes feeding into the well, which he says may have provided water for baches in the 1950s.

The well will be left in place but it was back-filled for safety reasons..."