St.
Winifred's Well was an important place for pilgrims to visit during
the Middle Ages. The story is told of how in the 7th century a young
prince, Caradoc, visited Tegeingle near the mouth of the River Dee.
Caradoc saw a pretty young girl called Winifred and made advances
towards her. Winifred rejected and then ran towards the church. Caradoc,
furious for being treated in this way, chased after her and cut off
her head with a sword.
The
head rolled down the hill towards the church. Winifred's father, Beuno,
was just leaving the church and realizing what had happened, "cursed
Caradoc so that he fell dead". Beuno lifted the head, wrapped
it in his cloak and returned to Mass, where he asked the people to
help him with their prayers for Winifred. He then joined the "head
to her body and she at once revived, and afterwards bearing only a
red threadlike mark around her throat."
Legend
has it that where Winifred's head had fallen "the stones surrounding
the fountain were stained forever with her blood, and the blood falling
in the water coloured also the moss that grows there and which has
the perfume of frankincense, though some say of violets."
A
well was built where Winifred's head fell and people believed in the
Middle Ages that its water had a curative quality. Therefore people
visited St. Winifred's Well seeking physical help rather than a pilgrimage
of penance.
On
23rd November, 1851, Pope Pius IX granted indulgences to pilgrims
who visited St. Winifred's Well. This increased the number of visitors
but on 5th January, 1917, disaster struck when the spring, which had
been bubbling at the rate of twenty-one tons a minute, went suddenly
dry. The reason for this was that tunnelling by a local lead-mine
company, had caused the water to drain away into the River Dee. Later
that year the lead-miners had managed to divert another underground
stream to restore the supply of water.
St.
Winifred's Well, Holywell
(1)
Celia Fiennes, wrote about her visit to
St. Winifred's Well in her book The Journeys of Celia
Fiennes (1685)
It seems the Saint they
do honour to in this place must bear them out in all things, they
tell of many lamenesses and aches and distempers which are cured by
it; its a cold water and clear and runs off very quick so that it
would be pleasant refreshment in the summer to wash oneself in it,
but its shallow not up to the waist so its not easy to dive and wash
in.
I saw abundance of the
devout papists on their knees all round the well; poor people are
deluded into an ignorant blind zeal and to be pitied by us that have
the advantage of knowing better and ought to be better. There is some
small stones of a reddish colour in the well said to be some of St
Winifred's blood also, which the poor people take out and bring to
the strangers for curiosity and relicts, and also moss about the banks
full of great virtue for every thing - but its a certain game to the
poor people, every one gives them something for bringing them moss
and the stones.
At Holly Well they speak
Welsh, the inhabitants go barefoot and bare legged. A nasty sort of
people, their meat is very small here, the mutton is no bigger than
little lamb, and what of it is very sweet; their wine good being near
the sea side and are all well provided with fish.
(2)
Daniel Defoe
wrote about her visit to St. Winifred's Well in his book A Tour
Through The Whole Island of Great Britain (1727)
We came to Hollywell. The stories of this
Well of S. Winifrid are, that the pious virgin, being ravished and
murdered, this healing water sprung out of her body when buried; but
this smells too much of the legend, to take up any of my time; the
Romanists indeed believe it, as is evident, from their thronging hither
to receive the healing sanative virtue of the water, which they do
not hope for as it is a medicinal water, but as it is a miraculous
water, and heals them by virtue of the intercession and influence
of this famous virgin, St Winifrid; of which I believe as much as
comes to my share.
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