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Page 2 of 2 Holy wellsSt Melangell’s Well lies in the Pennant valley just as St Cuthbert’s Well lies near the Cathedral of Durham where the saint’s remains were taken after Lindisfarne was pillaged and burnt by Viking raiders. Ancient wells and springs where water bubbles up out of the ground have always been thought of as sacred and their waters, especially where they are ‘troubled’ by mysterious eddies, have long been sought to cure all manner of ills.Pilgrims still come to St Winifrede’s Well in Holywell. They come to marvel at the bubbling spring and to bathe in its clear waters. The well chamber itself and the chapel that lies above it is quite rightly known as one of the seven wonders of Wales. Built at the end of the 15th century by Henry VII’s mother, Lady Margaret, Countess of Richmond, the many-windowed chapel stands above a triple-arched entrance to the well chamber. Here, beneath the delicate fan-vaulted ceiling, lies the star-shaped well from which a spring bubbles up. Like Melangell, Winifrede wished to dedicate her life to God. The daughter of a noble Welsh family, she was courted by a local chieftain called Caradoc who tried to seduce her. Winifrede ran for sanctuary to the church built by her uncle, St Bueno, but before she could reach it, Caradoc caught her and in a jealous rage beheaded her. As Winifrede’s head touched the ground a spring bubbled up and St Bueno, coming upon the dreadful scene, prayed that his niece be restored to life. The double miracle of the bubbling spring and restoration of a beautiful young girl was told in ballads throughout the land and St Winifrede's Well quickly became associated with healing. By Chaucer’s time the well had become a place of pilgrimage as great as Canterbury. Henry V walked from Shrewsbury to Holywell in thanksgiving for the saint’s aid in the battle of Agincourt. Even the Reformation, which smashed every other shrine, never touched Holywell. It would be nice to think that it was spared out of piety but the truth is that Holywell was so profitable that Henry VIII left it alone in return for its income. Islands and wells, churches and cathedrals are threaded together by routes that have been trodden since the Middle Ages. At the dawn of the 21st century we are rediscovering these ancient pathways so that once again we can take the way of the pilgrim. Walking the Pilgrims’ WayThe old Pilgrims’ Way, a trackway of immense antiquity, runs through the lovely countryside of Kent, Surrey and Hampshire, linking the great cathedrals of Canterbury and Winchester. Once used by Neolithic and Bronze Age travellers thousands of years before Christianity came to England, it came to be used by pilgrims of the Middle Ages who set out from the shrine of St Swithun in Winchester cathedral towards that of St Thomas à Becket at Canterbury.Today the route, which incorporates several waymarked paths, including the North Downs Way, extends further, linking Winchester and Mont St Michel in Normandy. Where today’s track crosses south-eastern England it is popular with thousands of walkers each year. Known as the Pilgrim’s Trail the Hampshire section follows another old pilgrim’s route to Portsmouth via the Forest of Bere. Further informationLindisfarne Island is eight miles south of Berwick upon Tweed, which lies on the A8354. If you are planning a visit you can discover the times when the tidal causeway will be open in 2006 by consulting the timetable when you arrive or by checking www.lindisfarne.org.ukSt Melangell’s is a pilgrimage church that is open all year round. A communion service is held at 12 noon each day and vespers take place at 3.00pm. Pennant Melangell is three miles west of Llangynog, which lies on the A4391 Bala road. St Winifrede's Well can be found in the town of Holywell just off the A55 in North Wales. It is open 9.00am–5.30pm April–September and 10.00am–4.00pm October–March. Closed Christmas Day. |
