|
[st wite's] |
I'm hooked on wells. They're often really peaceful places and nearly always they make a deep impression on me.
Since 2000, I've been looking for other local wells, with the help of the Hampshire Treasures database at Hantsweb. I extracted and posted a list of Hampshire Wells, intending to visit each one and describe it. I didn't have a great deal of luck for the next few years, wells being on private land and closed to visitors, wells inside restoration projects and closed to visitors, and so on.
Success outside Hampshire started when I photographed St. Joseph's Well at Glastonbury Abbey. Then, later, we tracked down the Silver Well at Cerne Abbas. Of course, at the other end of the Cerne walk is the Holy Well at Holwell, quite a contrast. Then we found and eventually reached St Wite's Well, beautiful little well in the middle of nowhere near Whitchurch Canonicorum.
And sort of by accident, I put up pages on well-dressing and early prohibition on well-worship.
A fortuitous visit allowed me to photograph Fair Rosamund's Well, which is named for a very interesting character, and this sparked a visit to Godstow. On the way, we stopped off at the "treacle well", St Margaret's Well, Binsey.
In 2002 I finally got Walsingham and we've returned a few times to this well with its special service. Although we started trying to visit the well in the crypt of Winchester Cathedral in 2002, because of a series of wet summers it wasn't until 2006 that we finally saw it. To continue the theme of wells linked to churches I found time in a very busy year to visit the well at Upwey (Elwell)
I'm indebted to James Rattue for pointing out the existence of 'St Mary's' or 'the Ladywell' at Burley, a fine little well away from the bustle of the vilage itself, which we visited in the summer of 2005. His book 'The Living Stream' had already prompted me to put together a walk to the vanished 'Pylgersput'. Now I've finally written it up.
We resumed well-hunting this year with the Holy Well at Soberton (actually in Swanmore parish), which we believe to be St Care's Well.
Doreen Taylor, originally from the United States corresponded with me about Cornish wells before her first few visits to the UK. I see no point in documenting what she already has, so I commend you to the bit about wells on her web site for some more descriptions.
Katy Johnson used to maintain a "Wiltshire Wells" site., which was better than a webring, but she no longer has time - I quite understand. James Rattue's 'The Source' journal is still online, though, and there's a mailing list for wells and spas, of which I'm a member, as well posting on the forum for the National Wells Index.
[well worship]
[winchester cathedral]
[st joseph's]
[holy well]
[doreen taylor]
[wiltshire wells]
[nwi forum]