Old Man's Mouth - West Ayton
(SE 9849 8710)

This well is located alongside the road running through the scenic Forge Valley, to the north of West Ayton. Several strong springs break out on the hillside behind the trough and these quickly form a stream that flows through the drystone wall and into the roadside trough.
The name "Old Man's Mouth" may refer to the straggly 'beard' of water weeds that hangs from the stone spout through which the water pours, but it could also relate to a lost (?) tradition similar to the several 'Old Wife' sites around the moors (e.g. Old Wives' Well).
A little further to the west lies Yedmandale (Old-man-dale), another possible link to this tradition.