Does anyone know where the 'burning well' is located?

[Sha]

Does anyone know where this 'burning well' is located?

Celia Fiennes 1698 Cheshire and Lancashire (recollections of her travels)

2 mile off Wigon towards Warrington (w^ch was some of my way back againe but for y^e Curiosity's sake I did,) is the Burning well w^ch burns like brandy; its a little sorry hole in one of y^e grounds 100 yards from y^e Road that Comes from Warrington to Wiggon just by a hedge or banck, its full of dirt and mud almost but the water Continually bubbles up as if it were a pott boyling w^ch is the spring or severall springs in that place; Nevertheless I felt y^e water and it was a Cold Spring. Y^e man w^ch shewed it me, w^th a dish tooke out a good quantety of y^e water and threw away and then w^th a piece of Rush he lighted by a Candle y^t he brought in a lanthorne, he set y^e water in y^e well on fire and it burn'd blewish just like spirits and Continued a good while, but by reason of y^e great raines y^t ffell y^e night before y^e spring was weaker and had not thrown off the raine water, otherwise it used to flame all over y^e well a good height, now it burnt weaker; at last the wind blew out y^e mans Candle and he severall tymes lighted y^e bitt of Rush or splinter of wood by y^e flame y^t burnt in y^e well. This is a little unaccountable; I apprehend its a sort of an unctious matter in y^e Earth and soe through its veines the springs run w^ch Causes it so to burn, for I observ'd when they dug into y^e banche and opened the sort of Clay or mudd, it burnt fiercer and more from y^e well.

[Evil Sid]

Can't say have ever heard of it but from the description would be around the Ince area which is approx 2 miles from Wigan heading towards Warrington.

Sounds like it could be a pool where marsh gas accumulated and there are several pools in that area although none that are close to the old road.