Monument record 2769 - St Winefride's Holy Well at Holywell Farm

The monument includes a well head and drain channel built of stone in the garden of Holywell Farm on the western side of the farmhouse. The well is one of a number of holy wells dedicated to the memory of St Winefride which were placed to mark the route of her remains when they were taken from Holywell in Clwyd, where she was martyred, to Shrewsbury Abbey. This formed a station on a medieval pilgrim trail which followed this route. The well is a circular basin 3.5m in diameter and 1.15m deep, lined with ashlar sandstone blocks and mortared below the water line. The bottom is silt and sand through which the water flows in several separate funnels. On the north side there is a gap in the surround which has been dammed with bricks in the recent past and a plastic pipe inserted to take away the overflow to a stone lined channel 2.5m long and O.5m wide. At the end of the channel a ceramic drain takes the overflow into a stream which flows through the garden. The stonework is medieval and the top of the construction is worn down by the feet of visitors to the well. (1&2)

<1> English Heritage, Various, Old/Original Schedule Entry (Scheduled Ancient Monuments Description), (MPP22/ AA 101074/1) (Scheduling Record). SCH4606.

<2> English Heritage, Various, Schedule Entry (Scheduled Ancient Monuments Amendment), (MPP22/ AA 101074/1) (Scheduling Record). SCH2950.