Watery Worlds
...Waterfalls, Caves, Lakes & Waves
Ffynnon Eilian (‘Eilian’s Well’), is at the foot of a rocky outcrop close to the sea. Like most holy wells, Ffynnon Eilian was thought to have healing properties and was visited for rituals on Saint Eilian’s day. From the 17th century, the nearby Church of St. Eilian began to promote the story that the well sprung from the spot damned by the saint when a greyhound killed his pet deer. Ffynnon Eilian thereafter developed a reputation as a cursing well which could be used to cast bad luck on others. Visitors would pay at St. Eilian’s for a spell to be inscribed and thrown into the waters. The church reputedly grew rich from the proceeds, buying two farms and later distributing funds to the poor. Known from the 18th century as the ‘Witching Well’, it was noted in British Goblins (1881) as “the most dreadful well in Wales”.
Photos of Ffynnon Eilian - copyright Wellhopper
Ffynnon Eilian, Amlwch
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- Region : North East Wales
- Grid Ref : SH 46570 93296
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Ffynnon Eilian (‘Eilian’s Well’), is at the foot of a rocky outcrop close to the sea. Like most holy wells, Ffynnon Eilian was thought to have healing properties and was visited for rituals on Saint Eilian’s day. From the 17th century, the nearby Church of St. Eilian began to promote the story that the well sprung from the spot damned by the saint when a greyhound killed his pet deer. Ffynnon Eilian thereafter developed a reputation as a cursing well which could be used to cast bad luck on others. Visitors would pay at St. Eilian’s for a spell to be inscribed and thrown into the waters. The church reputedly grew rich from the proceeds, buying two farms and later distributing funds to the poor. Known from the 18th century as the ‘Witching Well’, it was noted in British Goblins (1881) as “the most dreadful well in Wales”.
Photos of Ffynnon Eilian - copyright WellhopperMore Watery Worlds locations