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The Northern Antiquarian Forum

Archaeology, folklore & myth of Britain's pre-christian sites & heritage: stone circles, holy wells, maypoles, tombs, archaic cosmologies and human consciousness. Everyone welcome - even Southerners!


2 posters

    ST HELEN'S WELL at Sefton, Merseyside.

    Sunbright57
    Sunbright57


    Join date : 2011-02-10
    Age : 67
    Location : Nelson - the one in Lancashire sorry to say!

    ST HELEN'S WELL at Sefton, Merseyside. Empty ST HELEN'S WELL at Sefton, Merseyside.

    Post  Sunbright57 Tue Mar 22, 2011 11:22 am

    OS grid reference about SD.357013. It is best to start at the Punch Bowl Inn carpark, Sefton, then travel a short distance along Lunt Road by St Helen's church. A footpath/lane is reached where a barrier stands and about 10 metres opposite the main road beneath the undergrowth is St. Helen's holy well, or what remains of it.

    The well is now, sadly, capped off with an inscribed stone that recalls ST HELEN'S WELL. The well originally stood inside a rather nice little wellhouse with a pyramid shaped, overlapping roof, with railings running around it. It was renowned for its icy waters which were especially good for people suffering from rheumatism, sprains, bruising and, also nervous problems. It had a hand pump at the side of the well-house to enable people to drink the water. But all this has now gone, though the church congregation still visit the site on the saint's feastday and are still hoping that some day the well will be restored again.

    It was probably a preChristian spring that in the Middle Ages turned into a pilgrimage site, especially so in the 14th century when the church was built close by. In pre-Reformation times it was much in use, but later on and in more recent times it had become a wishing well; pins were thrown into the well by young folk. Apparently, if the pin could be seen at the bottom of the well a favourable outcome was likely with regard to good luck in a forthcoming marriage by a couple much in love.
    Paulus
    Paulus


    Join date : 2009-08-20
    Location : Yorkshire

    ST HELEN'S WELL at Sefton, Merseyside. Empty Re: ST HELEN'S WELL at Sefton, Merseyside.

    Post  Paulus Tue Mar 22, 2011 5:22 pm

    Hi Ray! Smile

    I've got a bittova fetish for old Helen Wells. Would you mind if I added your info about this site to the main TNA site? (once WordPress is back up & running properly - it's down at the moment) I'll attach credits to you. Have you any images of the place I could add to it?

    Cheers - Paul
    Sunbright57
    Sunbright57


    Join date : 2011-02-10
    Age : 67
    Location : Nelson - the one in Lancashire sorry to say!

    ST HELEN'S WELL at Sefton, Merseyside. Empty St Helen's Well at Sefton, Merseyside

    Post  Sunbright57 Wed Mar 23, 2011 7:48 am

    Hello Paul, Yes you can indeed put this onto the TNA main page if you wish. I don't have any pictures, but there is a church website that has a sketch drawing of what the well originally looked like. I will put the link on. There is a very interesting St Helen's Well at Caernarfon associated with St Elen Lluddog (Helen of the Legions) who was a Welsh princess and wife of Magnus Maximus (Maxim Wledig), though at the moment I'm not too sure of its exact location. I know roughly where it is but need some more info. There are some very interesting holy wells in north Wales. Would dearly love to put some of these on, but can't seem to find the time or energy at the moment as I'm going between here and Meg Portal. All the best, Ray.
    study
    Paulus
    Paulus


    Join date : 2009-08-20
    Location : Yorkshire

    ST HELEN'S WELL at Sefton, Merseyside. Empty Re: ST HELEN'S WELL at Sefton, Merseyside.

    Post  Paulus Wed Mar 23, 2011 11:08 am

    Hi Ray!

    Site added here:

    http://megalithix.wordpress.com/2011/03/23/st-helens-well-sefton/

    Hope y' don't mind, but I've added Henry Taylor's entry for the site below our description. I'll have a scan round & see if there's any old images of the place to use. I wonder - Mr Lowergate? Wouldst thou have any sitting in your tea-chests anywhere!? study

    Many thanks - Paul Cool
    Sunbright57
    Sunbright57


    Join date : 2011-02-10
    Age : 67
    Location : Nelson - the one in Lancashire sorry to say!

    ST HELEN'S WELL at Sefton, Merseyside. Empty St Helen's Well at Sefton, Merseyside

    Post  Sunbright57 Wed Mar 23, 2011 2:51 pm

    The friends of St Helen's church magazine at Sefton had a good image of the holy well in one of their 2006 issues. Click on this link for the image at the top of the page and info on the holy well by scrolling down. The image shows what the holy well used to look like. http://www.sthelenssefton.org.uk/main/friends/newsletters/archive/news27.pdf

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