St Bueno's Well, Tremeirchion

The bathing chamber is out of bounds, but its holy source is diverted through a curious wellhead, an attraction on the Welsh Cistercian Way and the North Wales Pilgrims Way

Highlights

• Celtic well chamber by roadside

This well is at the front of an estate offering holiday retreats in shepherd’s huts: nature immersion every bit as complete as that once enjoyed in St Beuno’s holy well, if rather drier and warmer.

A substantial well chamber still surrounds the source, but someone had literally pulled the plug on any devotional or healing activity here when I visited. A metal and rubber stopper was sitting on the side like an oversized bath plug. When the plug is in, the bathing chamber fills with clear water to a depth of about a metre, after which it starts to flow through the mouth of the ancient stone fountainhead at one end of the well chamber. This is probably a medieval effigy, the figure’s clasped hands just visible below the outlet, praying a flow of purest water.

A detailed explanatory panel says the origins of this particular well are obscure, but the substantial chamber clearly signifies an immersion pool for healing. More recently, local people would collect water from the fountainhead. It is on private land, but you can see the wellhead from the road.

St Beuno was active in founding churches and wells across North Wales in the 7th century, including the famous one at Holywell.

Directions

South of: Tremeirchion, St Asaph LL17 0UE

www.beunoshuts.co.uk

W3W: dices.logged.cabs

GPS: 53.2404N 3.3748W

Head south from Tremeirchion on the B5429, and the well is on the left after about half a mile, at a shallow bend in the road with a lay-by.