Mysterious Britain & Ireland

Category: Wells

Ancient Sites / Early Christianity / Wells

Holy Well of St Winifred

The healing waters of St Winifred’s (Winifride) Holy Well have attracted pilgrims for over 1300 years and the crypt in which the well lies was stacked with crutches left by the cured invalids until some time in the 1960’s, though can still be seen on display.

Ancient Sites / Early Christianity / Wells

St Simon’s Well

According to Edmund Bogg in “From Eden Vale to the plains of York or A Thousand Miles in the Valleys of the Nidd and Yore" (1894) ”In the township of East Scrafton is a spring of water known as St. Simon’s Well. Near it once stood an oratory called St. Simon’s Chapel; not a vestige of this remains. The well was formerly used as a bath. Tradition says that St.

Ancient Sites / Early Christianity / Folklore / Wells

Holy Island

The island was said to be the home of St Molaise who is reputed to have been born in Ireland in 570AD. He came to Holy Island to live as a hermit and Molaise’s cave is one of his reputed abodes.

Ancient Sites / Folklore / Wells

St Fillan’s Chair and Well Dunfillan

A rocky seat on top of the Dunfillan, is the place where St Fillan is said to have sat and blessed the surrounding lands. The chair was thought to be able to heal rheumatism of the back, although you had to be dragged back down the hill by your legs to affect a cure. This would certainly cause enough bruising to allow you to forget about your rheumatism for a while.

Ancient Sites / Black Dogs / Fairies / Folklore / Scottish Fairies / Wells

Schiehallion

The dark brooding presence of Schiehallion (pronounced She-hal-e-on)- the fairy hill of the Caledonians – looms over the Eastern end of Rannoch moor like a voluminous guardian. The mountain is one of the traditional haunts of otherworld beings.

Ancient Sites / Fairies / Folklore / Legends / Wells

Giggleswick

The ebbing and flowing well: legend tells how a nymph was being chased by a satyr who was overcome with lust. The nymph prayed to the gods and was saved by being turned into a well – famous for healing. The only thing that remained of the nymph was her eternal breath that causes the well to ebb and flow like the tides.

Ancient Sites / Wells

St Queran’s Well

The water was believed to have healing properties and is dedicated to a 9th century saint. Proof of a long tradition of leaving items at the well was discovered when the well was cleared in 1870: hundreds of coins, bent pins and other objects were discovered beneath the mud. Some of these can still be seen in the Dumfries Museum.

Ancient Sites / Early Christianity / Hauntings / King Arthur / Legends / Mabinogion / Wells

St Non’s Chapel and St David’s Peninsula

St David’s Peninsula is supposedly the landing place of Twrch Trwyth, the magical boar told in the story of Culhwch and Olwen in the Mabinogion, King Arthur features heavily in the story. It is also the place where St Patrick is said to have sailed for Ireland to convert them to Christianity.