AN important historical spring which once fuelled a host of water mills in the area should be left shrouded in secrecy, a resident said.

Secretary of the Princes Risborough Area Heritage Society Sandy Macfarlane said the beauty of Pyrtle Spring, which is near Princes Risborough, is to “stumble across" it when walking through the countryside.

Astronomer and writer Heather Couper, who lives in Loosley Row, wrote to the Bucks Free Press calling for the spring to be restored after finding it dry and children riding their bikes through it.

But Dr Macfarlane said the level of water depends on recent rainfall and the amount of water currently used by the population.

He said: “It is a seasonal spring. We all use so much water these days the water table has dropped.

“You go there one time month and it is dry and you go there another month and the water is running.

“Bringing it back to life is a matter of nature. If we had a lot of water it would run. By Christmas it will be running again.”

The spring was once known as Purtwell Spring and Dr Macfarlane has even heard it being referred to as Purple Spring.

The 75-year-old said he felt it was one of the main reasons Princes Risborough developed in the area and it once provided water to all mills in the area, including Culverton Mill, Park Mill and Bledlow Mill.

There is also evidence that in the Tudor period that it was “almost like an out of town shopping mall” as items were found which suggested people camped there and there was a street market.

Ms Couper said the proposed “restoration of the site had not continued” but Dr Macfarlane said the talks were only ever brief and the spring is actually on private land.

He said the opinions were split into two camps. Dr Macfarlane added: “Those who like Heather would like it as a secret and very beautiful place when the water is running and those who want to turn it into a theme park- laying out paths to it sides there.

“There was a difference of view. We want everyone to see all the beautiful things in the world but actually you can't.

“If you started publicising Pyrtle Spring you would destroy half of its beauty, which is something people stumble across when walking through the countryside.”