Llandeilo and Llandyfan Baptismal Wells

The vast Celtic Way runs for 758 miles through Wales and South-West England, calling in on the ancient spiritual treasures of Llandeilo and its holy well

Baptismal wells from very different eras can be seen in these towns, which are 4 miles apart. One might date back to the Celtic missionary St Teilo, while the other appears to be a rare immersion chamber built after the Reformation.

Llandeilo

Llandeilo’s holy well is on the south side of the churchyard, on Church Street. It sits in an alcove under the churchyard itself, a recessed structure with a smaller chamber in the corner that takes the flow of water. The early history of this holy source is uncertain, but its proximity to the church suggests a baptismal function.

St Teilo’s monastery was probably located on the site of the present parish, which is dedicated to him. Hard facts about the saint’s biography are hard to come by, but he was clearly an important missionary, with numerous places dedicated to him in Wales and Brittany. The church has installed an excellent museum tracing his story and its ongoing legacy.

His shrine is at Llandaff Cathedral, although a medieval legend claimed his body split into three on his death so it could be venerated at Llandaff, Llandeilo, and Penally. A similar tale is told of St Baldred in Scotland. The Llandeilo Gospels, also known as the Lichfield Gospels, were kept at this church for a time, according to a marginal note on the manuscript added in old Welsh. The book is now displayed at Lichfield Cathedral.

Llandyfan

The immersion chamber at Llandyfan, 4 miles to the south, also has obscure origins. It has a rusting metal sluicegate, lowered in order to fill a deep immersion pool with holy water. The structure is said to be that of an early Baptist community, installed in the 17th century on the site of a much older holy well.

Use of the original holy well was banned after the Reformation, as a rather pitiful story illustrates. In 1592, a bedraggled group of pilgrims was hauled before the local magistrate for attempting to use the waters. Moved by their ill health and obvious desperation in searching for a cure, he refused to imprison them.

The church alongside was once a nonconformist chapel shared by a variety of denominations but transferred into the ownership of the Church in Wales in 1838. The well is clearly no longer used, but its sluicegate looks fairly recent despite the rust. Steps lead down into the chamber, which had just three inches of water when I visited, and a stone bottom covered in algae, slippery as wet ice.

Directions

St Teilo’s Church, Church Street, Llandeilo SA19 6BH

www.llandeilofawr.org.uk

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GPS: 51.8818N 3.9923W

St Dyfan’s Church, Llandyfan SA18 2TU

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GPS: 51.8361N 3.9728W

Llandeilo’s huge churchyard is easy to find in the middle of the village. The well is built into the south wall, just beyond the east end of the church, accessible from the street only.

Llandyfan is a strung-out settlement. The little church is next to a side road on the north-west side of the village. Llandyfan is signposted from A483 at the village of Derwydd. Follow the lane for 1½ miles, ignoring all turnings off the main route, and the church is on the left at a bend in the road.