Re definitions - Maddy Gray and I once spent hours tramping around the sides of Bradnor Hill on the Welsh border above Kington, trying to find what was on the OS Landranger map as Holywell. (It comes up only at the most detailed level on StreetMap, co-ordinates 328306,259091.) We failed to get to it, thanks to fencing, and bracken almost as tall as me. What we could see, only, was a narrow triangle of bright green grass, no doubt marking the outflow. This gives credence to saints' wells, supposedly found where saints or parts of them were buried - their bodies are supposed to have enriched the earth.

Nearby is Holywell Wood, which showed signs of ancient coppicing, with a low boundary bank around it (might have had a pale on top, originally?). I haven't come across any reference to religious or medicinal use of the spring in local lore (could have missed something, though). In this case, the names are the only clue, and I don't know how far back they're recorded. But holy wells can sometimes be holly wells, and Chad's Wells may be from the Anglo-Saxon for 'cold spring'. Watery names do have to be handled with care.

Of note: the Bradnor spring is practically on the English/Welsh border, below Offa's Dyke, and close to a Walton and the Hindwell site. (The spring's outflow goes into the Arrow, and the Hindwell Brook north into the Lugg.) A lot of simple 'holy wells' (not dedicated to saints) seem to be boundary markers? But were they chosen as boundary markers because everyone knew where they were, already?

Kington had a walking festival last autumn, including a walk based on the history of the Hindwell site, with its spring in the centre. That monument is so big that it was recognized only recently, from aerial photos. Shows how tricky the EH definition can be.

Christine B

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Message Received: Mar 12 2013, 02:10 AM
From: "R Lee"
To: [log in to unmask]
Cc:
Subject: Re: Holy Well newsletter help

 

Re: comments about the Holy Well definition.

I understand people will take issue with this. That is fine, I certainly do not call this definition definitive in any way. However I would stress two things.

Firstly, some sort of definition needs to be deployed in a newsletter about Holy Wells and the EH definition which is what I am using (I wish I could claim I came up with it, but sadly no), is the best and most embracing definition I have seen, that still retains something usefully diagnostic.

Secondly, I don’t think I am excluding anything from this newsletter because it does not meet the definition. I certainly know that coming are articles on Bath, Roman river rituals and the like. I guess what I am saying is that these areas all focus and contextualize Holy Wells, as defined by EH, in some way. The definition is just a guide.   

What I would really welcome is an article challenging this definition. Now that would be very interesting if there are any offers?