What a list! Ask a question which is beamed out into
cyberspace, then sent back via a friend of a friend
and... hey presto! An answer about a well a few miles
down the road, by a "local"! In addition to what Sue
answers below, I coincidentally met Alwyn Hughes this
evening, who told me that the well was on his land, but
the council now owns it following the road widening
scheme. The well site has been conserved in the
pavement and following an inspection by the council, it
has been decided to cover it with Perspex so it cannot
be filled with rubbish.
I was very interested in this "newly discovered well"
because many years ago (30?) Tristan Gray Hulse and I
spent some time in Aberdaron looking for a well which
we decided must be in a field covered in brambles and
inaccessible. Alwyn Hughes says he remembers that field
as a child, but there was no well in it as far as he
remembers. So the hunt is still on...
St. Mary's Well at the very end of the peninsula beyond
Aberdaron is a favourite haunt with many... Next time
you visit you may think of the old local
tradition/custom of taking a mouth full of water and
running up to the top of the hill... It is "lucky" if
you can do it and retain water in your mouth. Needless
to say, it is a pretty hopeless task.
Janet Kaiser
Criccieth
> A friend who belongs to the wells-and-spas newsgroup
sent this message on to
> me as I live in Aberdaron.
>
> I wondered if the well was something to do with the
Mill pond as it is just
> a bit further up the hill and above it (albeit on the
other side of the
> road)but I have now found out a bit more by asking
Mrs Hughes, wife of Alwyn
> Hughes, Morannedd who made the complaint.
>
> The well was discovered a couple of years ago in a
bit of their field which
> the Council took over to build the pavement. They
hadn't known it existed
> but they did have an ancient pump in the house. They
think the well and pump
> were put in as a private water supply by the sea
captain who built Morannedd
> (late 19th century I guess). The house is on the
right at the top of the
> Pwllheli road hill down into Aberdaron and the well
is just a short distance
> further down the hill - hence the pump presumably.
>
> It's a bit disappointing the well isn't more
interesting ...
>
> Best wishes
> Sue
> > > In the Cambrian News, 13 Sept. 2001 there is
mention of
> > > a letter from the Chair of the Aberdaron Tourist
> > > Association to the Council complaining about
several
> > > local matters. It says towards the end:
> > >
> > > "Mae'r hen ffynnon ar Allt B4413 yn llawn o
sbwriel
> > > drewllyd sy'n peryglu iechyd ac yn sarhad i'r
llygaid.
> > > Addawyd ei chau a chaead tryloyw ers dros ddwy
flynedd.
> > >
> > > That means the well on the hill (out of
Aberdaron) on
> > > the B4413 is full of rubbish which is a danger to
> > > health and an eye-sore. There have been
complaints for
> > > two years.... Then about paying rates etc. etc.
> > >
> > > The point is, does anyone know when this well was
> > > rediscovered and reopened? Or who it is dedicated
to?
> > > Even if it is considered "holy"? I just presume
so,
> > > because it is on the road to St. Mary's Well on
the
> > > headland overlooking Bardsey Island/Ynys Enlli
and
> > > pilgrims leave Aberdaron to cross over to that
Holy
> > > Island.
> > >
> > > I also wondered, do wells generally get cleared
by the
> > > local council? If so, are they considered to be
in
> > > public care or even ownership, when the site is
on
> > > private property?
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