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Altitude: 155 m. ASL.
Region:
United Kingdom (UK) > Cornwall and Isles of Scilly
Cache type: Virtual
Size: No container
Status:
Ready for Search
Date hidden: 02-05-2010
Date created: 02-05-2010
Date published: 02-05-2010
Last modification: 02-07-2010 
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Rated as: Good
Cache attributes
Description
EN
Sancreed Holy Well lies in a pine and holly grove. A few steps lead deeply down into a womblike chamber covered with corbelled stone walls and roof, (descend them at your own risk). There is now a relatively shallow level of water, though in recent times it was at a much higher level. The well, which probably originally dates from pre-Christian times, was lost and buried in thick undergrowth for a number of years, but was re-discovered by the Vicar of Sancreed in 1879, and subsequently kept cleared by a Juliette Shanks, who has a plaque dedicated to her on the site. The remains of an early Chapel lie behind the well, with a large 15th century carved stone in one corner, which may have originally formed part of an arch. A modern Christian cross designed in a Celtic fashion stands next to it.
Attached to the trees nearby there are often 'clouties' or pieces of rags left hanging. This was a traditional custom at healing wells, whereby rags were torn from part of the body where there was injury or hurt and tied on a tree close to the well. As the material disintegrated so the hurt/injury was supposed to go.
Sancreed Church, and thus by implication the well, is dedicated to St.Credan, a mythological saint who in the old texts supposedly accidently killed his father and became a swineherd in penance. Sancreed Church has a carving of him holding a pig above the porch door. In Celtic mythology pigs were totem animals of the Otherworld, and swineherds often have an initiatory significance, representing contact with the Otherworld.
Information from http://www.cornishancientsites.com
Parking is available for a few cars by Sancreed Church. A public path from the telephone box opposite the church leads to the well.
In order to log your find you will need to enter a password - the last word on the last line on the right hand plaque at
N50 06.448 W005 36.771
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