On March 16, 1862, workers reached water at the bottom of a well extending 391.6 meters (1,285 feet) below Woodingdean, near the gates of Brighton. This well is recognized by Guinness World Records as the deepest well ever manually dug, surpassing the height of the Eiffel Tower (330 meters). The well was dug by the Brighton municipal authority to provide water to the Warren Farm school for children of the workhouse, as the authority refused to pay the water company. The construction site opened on March 25, 1858, with a target depth of about 400 feet (120 meters). However, after reaching 400 feet, water was not found, and digging continued. The well was constructed with 45 men taking turns day and night, with posts of only six hours in the well. A steam machine provided fresh air, and the walls were lined with approximately 278,000 bricks. On March 16, 1862, at 1,285 feet, the bottom gave way. In one and a half hours, water rose 400 feet (about 100 meters) in the well. Workers had to climb into the well to avoid drowning, with an ascent from this depth taking 45 minutes. The next day, church bells rang, and a crowd gathered to see the first bucket of water. Brighton celebrated the feat as a miracle of Victorian engineering, with a commemorative medal struck and engraved shells serving as souvenirs. The well was used for only four years before the city connected the school to the public water network and abandoned it. Despite its short life, it remains the deepest manually dug well in the world. The well's water reached the school's pipes four years before the city connected to the conventional water network. The Brighton municipal authority spent 100 pounds per week on maintenance, and the Brighton Herald referred to the well as a "sort of monster" swallowing 100 pounds of taxpayers' money each week. The original calculation no longer held, and the well was abandoned after four years of use. Today, the top of the well is sealed and is located in front of a hospital entrance. The public only sees this sealed rim, while the well extends deeper than most skyscrapers rise. In the Brighton Museum, a vial labeled "March 17, 1862" contains the water from the first bucket brought up. It is the only tangible trace of what the workers had gone so far to seek. The green sand from the bottom is preserved in a sealed vial with red wax. The names of the workers who worked so far underground have not been recorded.