Pembroke residents have called for better treatment after an historical landmark fell into disrepair.

Black Watch Well, located near the intersection of North Shore Road and Langton Hill, was spotted this month covered in dense foliage and weeds.

Although the area was cleared by yesterday afternoon, many residents noted frequent neglect at the site, including poor maintenance and a broken sign yet to be reinstalled.

Jason Marsh, 44, said the well, and Black Watch Pass as a whole, were “definitely not being maintained”.

He added: “The Government definitely needs to step up their game for it because it’ll disappear.

“There’s always rocks falling on it during rainy days.”

Mr Marsh said the grass in the area was cut monthly, while the trees growing from the supporting walls were trimmed much less frequently.

He added that the well served an important role offering water to the area — even to this day, where it acted as an aquifer.

Mr Marsh said: “The Black Watch Well’s been supplying our family with well water since it was built.

“The tunnel [through Black Watch Pass] gives you the convenience of being able to get to Palmetto Road and back.”

Mr Marsh added: “It’ll be nice to see them maintain it more or at least put the sign up about the history or something like that.

“A lot of tourists walk around through here.”

Black Watch Well was built in 1849 under Captain Charles Elliot, then the Governor of Bermuda, after a severe drought made him concerned for the nearby residents’ ability to get fresh water.

The well was eventually dubbed Black Watch Well, named after the 42nd Royal Highland Regiment of Foot, who were themselves called the Black Watch to reflect their role and the colour of their uniforms.

Black Watch Well fell into disuse until 1933, when a new road was carved through the hill to join North Shore Road and Marsh Folly Road.

The well later lent its name to the road — Black Watch Pass.

Amy Peniston, 35, noted that the well looked better yesterday than it had in previous months.

She said: “For a while there was trash in there, there was an old dilapidated chair, maybe even looked like there was potentially bedding in there and I didn’t know where that had come from.”

Ms Peniston added: “I know they do mow the lawn there occasionally, though sometimes it does get pretty tall before they mow it.”

She said the sign had been propped up against the well for “ages” and was impressed it had not been stolen.

However, she added: “They should get the sign up there. I don’t know who’s in charge of that but they should get the sign back up there.”

Ms Peniston also said: “It is kind of a bad look to have trash and stuff there.

“Tourists do walk up this road to catch a bus to get into town, to walk to town, so it does kind of make me squirm a little bit inside seeing that sometimes there’s trash and it doesn’t look halfway decent there.”

Karen Border, the executive director of the Bermuda Natural Trust, said it was a “terrible shame” to see the cultural site “neglected and allowed to fall into disrepair”.

She added: “The well is not only an important part of our cultural heritage — it is also a landmark that locals and visitors pass each day and should not have been allowed to become an eyesore.

“Ten years ago, the site was in great shape, having been restored by Public Works and rededicated by the Royal Bermuda Regiment.

“Hopefully, now that its neglect has been brought to public attention, it will be fixed up again and put back on to a rota of regular maintenance.”

The Ministry of Public Works and Environment has been contacted for comment.