<< Our Photo Pages >> St Kenelm's Well - Holy Well or Sacred Spring in England in Worcestershire
Submitted by 4clydesdale7 on Thursday, 04 September 2014 Page Views: 19807
Springs and Holy WellsSite Name: St Kenelm's WellCountry: England
NOTE: This site is 3.646 km away from the location you searched for.
County: Worcestershire Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring
Nearest Village: Romsley
Map Ref: SO9444280755 Landranger Map Number: 139
Latitude: 52.424752N Longitude: 2.083161W
Condition:
5 | Perfect |
4 | Almost Perfect |
3 | Reasonable but with some damage |
2 | Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site |
1 | Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks |
0 | No data. |
-1 | Completely destroyed |
5 | Superb |
4 | Good |
3 | Ordinary |
2 | Not Good |
1 | Awful |
0 | No data. |
5 | Can be driven to, probably with disabled access |
4 | Short walk on a footpath |
3 | Requiring a bit more of a walk |
2 | A long walk |
1 | In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find |
0 | No data. |
5 | co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates |
4 | co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map |
3 | co-ordinates scaled from a bad map |
2 | co-ordinates of the nearest village |
1 | co-ordinates of the nearest town |
0 | no data |
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I have visited· I would like to visit
Hodur visited on 6th Oct 2018 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 3 Access: 4
4clydesdale7 visited on 10th May 2014 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 3 Access: 4 The site could be so much more attractive if only someone cared
Ray visited on 19th Apr 2011 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 2 I make occasional visits to this site during walks from my home 3 miles away
Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 3.67 Ambience: 3.33 Access: 3.33
In or about AD 793 (dates from this period are frequently inaccurate) King Kenwulf of Mercia married his wife Aelfthryth by whom he had three children; two sisters Quendryth and Burghild and their younger brother Kenelm - Kenwulf died in or about AD 821 - Quendryth was by then Abbess of Southminster (possibly in either Essex or Kent - both are possible) - Kenelm was reported at the time to be only 7 years old and although he was regarded by the Thanes as his father's nominated heir a 'regent' carried out affairs of state for him -
To gain power Quendryth and Kenelm's cruel foster-father Asceberht plotted the murder of Kenelm - the youngster was taken on a hunting trip in the Clent Hills just SW of what is now Birmingham by Ascebehrt and whilst the youngster prayed beneath a thorn tree he was beheaded - Ascebehrt failed to notice that from Kenelm's severed head flew a white dove which soared into the heavens passing St Peter's Church in Rome where it deposited a piece of parchment on the altar - the parchment was taken before the Pope who having the same translated by local Saxon Bishops learned of the foul deed - he sent a legation to Mercia who found the grave of young Kenelm dug on the very spot upon which he was slain - the grave was attended by a white cow -
As the body was exhumed a Spring spurted forth - Kenelm's body was taken to Winchcombe in North Gloucestershire - just short of that town the pall bearers grew weary and put the coffin down whereupon another Spring came forth and they were refreshed (this website contains an entry for this Gloucestershire St Kenelm's Well) - later as Chantries were being sung in the Church at Winchcombe a woman believed to be Quendryth was heard to be singing the words of the chantries in reverse order whereupon her eyes were gouged out - a good old blood-thirsty Saxon legend indeed!!
It was not until King Edward 1st was on the throne that the site of the murder was formally consecrated (although the original church near Romsley is said to be Norman) - thereafter until the Dissolution of the Monasteries it became so popular that the Medieval Village of Kenelmstowe grew in the fields adjoining the Church -
The Well is said to be in the Undercroft beneath the eastern end of the Church but these days access is barred due to the arched external entrance on the northside being (unsympathetically - see photograph) walled up - the situation is complicated further by another Spring appearing (since the walling-up) just ten metres to the north east where there is now a rather drab replacement Wellhead after the local water table had dropped - this is not helped by the fact that there are at least three other effusive ancient Springs close nearby - a small stream runs away from the new Wellhead down a gully - the area has to a certain extent reverted to pagan status with many trees now being festooned with modern 'votive offerings'
English Heritage Pastscape Monument Number 118697
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