St Gwenfaen's Well (also known as cy, Ffynnon Gwenfaen, cy, Ffynnon Wenfaen and cy, Ffynnon Gwenfai) is an early medieval holy well in the south west of

Holy Island, Anglesey Holy Island ( cy, Ynys Gybi, 'the island of (Saint) Cybi') is an island () on the western side of the larger Isle of Anglesey, Wales, from which it is separated by the Cymyran Strait. It is called "Holy" because of the high concentration of ...

, named after St Gwenfaen, whose cloister was nearby. The site includes substantial remains of a building and is both a scheduled monument and a Grade II listed building. Traditionally, a gift of two white quartz pebbles thrown into the pool can cure mental health problems.

Location

St Gwenfaen's Well lies in an isolated position in a cleft in the rock in a dell overlooking the cliffs of Porth Gwalch (Welsh: ''Hawk Bay'') in the community of

Rhoscolyn Rhoscolyn is a village and Community (Wales), community located on Holy Island, Anglesey, Wales. It is just over five miles south of Holyhead and is the most southerly settlement on the island. The name Rhoscolyn is said to mean "The Moor" ''(Rho ...

in the south west of

. The well is just under west by south west of the village of Rhoscolyn which is the location of St Gwenfaen's Church, part of the ministry area of Holy Island ( Church in Wales). As with much of Holy Island, the well lies within the area of the Glannau Ynys Gybi (Welsh: ''Holy Island Coast'')

Site of Special Scientific Interest A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of ...

and the Anglesey Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Description

The remains of the drystone well house are east-west by (originally) north-south. Three steps descend into the building from the east into a square chamber with a flagstone floor and four diagonal stone seats in each corner. A narrow opening and steps lead into the rectangular well chamber, east-west by north-south, with recessed semi-circular seats at each side. An outer external well chamber roughly square contains the well itself, and is separated from the internal well chamber by a drystone wall, which includes a stone slab with circular grooves cut in its upper and lower edges to allow water to flow between the two chambers. The external chamber can be reached by six descending stone steps on either side cut into the cleft in the rock. At the western end a stone slab with a hole allows water to be retained in the chamber or be released into a long paved channel leading to a pool west of the well. St Gwenfaen's Well has not been accurately dated but is assumed to be medieval. The nearby church dedicated to St Gwenfaen is on the site of an older church dating from 630 AD.

History and legend

Gwenfaen was the daughter of Paul Hen of Manaw (who also known as Old Paulinus), and sister of

Peulan Saint Peulan was a Welsh holy man in the early part of the 6th century, the son of Paulinus, a saint from south Wales who taught Saint David. A follower of Cybi, a saint associated with the island of Anglesey in north Wales, Peulan is commemora ...

and Gwyngeneu, both saints who also lived on Holy Island. She was known for healing mental illness. While being chased by druids, Gwenfaen is said to have climbed a nearby rock stack and was carried away by angels when the tide came in. An offering of two white quartz pebbles into the water of the well is said to cure mental problems.

Recent history

St Gwenfaen's Well was designated as a Grade II listed building in 1971 and as a scheduled monument in 1987. The well is blessed every year on, or near, Gwenfaen's

Saint's day The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context d ...

, 4 November, after

Holy Communion The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instituted ...

in the nearby church.

Access

St Gwenfaen's Well can be reached by footpath, either by a circular route around Rhoscolyn or by following the

Anglesey Coastal Path The Anglesey Coastal Path (formally the Isle of Anglesey Coastal Path) is a long-distance footpath around the island of Anglesey (Ynys Môn) in North Wales. The route is part of the Wales Coast Path. Description The path mainly follows the c ...

(part of the Wales Coast Path).

References

External links

* – map of part of Anglesey Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty * – online images * – gallery of photos including close-ups of features * – shrines, churches and wells associated with Welsh saints * – includes Maps 13 to 28 covering the coast of Anglesey {{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Gwenfaen's Well Scheduled monuments in Anglesey Rhoscolyn Gwenfaen Grade II listed buildings in Anglesey