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<< Our Photo Pages >> Virtuous Well - Holy Well or Sacred Spring in Wales in Monmouthshire

Submitted by KiwiBetsy on Sunday, 06 June 2004  Page Views: 22084

Springs and Holy WellsSite Name: Virtuous Well Alternative Name: St Anne's Well; Red Pool (Trelleck)
Country: Wales County: Monmouthshire Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring
Nearest Town: Monmouth  Nearest Village: Trellech
Map Ref: SO50300509  Landranger Map Number: 162
Latitude: 51.742296N  Longitude: 2.721214W
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
4 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
4 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
5 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
5

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coin visited - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 4

hamish AngieLake have visited here

Virtuous Well
Virtuous Well submitted by Thorgrim : The Virtuous Well was formerly known as St Anne's Well. Situated in Trellech at SO503051, the well is one of nine that were once here. Each was reputed to cure a different malady. You should drop a pebble into the well and make a wish. If many bubbles appear, then your wish will be granted, if only a few then you will be disappointed. (Vote or comment on this photo)
Holy Well / Spring at the historical village of Trellech in Monmouthshire

This well is also known as St Anne’s Well. The stone surround offers places for visitors to leave offerings and the stone seats would also have been welcomed by travellers.

In the 18th and 19th centuries the water was considered especially beneficial in the treatment of eye ailments and for treating ‘complaints peculiar to women’. It was also used as a wishing well. Girls wanting to know how long they would have to wait for marriage would drop in a pebble and every bubble that rose counted as one month …. a much shorter time scale than at Alsia Well in Cornwall where each bubble counted as a year! Fairies were believed to dance at the well and one day a local farmer dug up a fairy ring around it and from then on, whenever he (and only he) tried to draw water, the well was dry, but as soon as he replaced the missing turf he was able to get water again. On midsummer’s eve, the fairies were said to drink it’s water from harebells which were found strewn around on midsummer’s morning. There was also a legend that nuns from Tintern Abbey had used a three mile long tunnel so that they could use the water unobserved .... historically however, there were only monks at Tintern.

For more information see Coflein NPRN 32405, which includes photographs of the well. The Journal of Antiquities also mentions the well in their entry for Harold’s Stones, Trellech, Monmouthshire; the well is also depicted on the sundial in St. Nicholas's church in the village.
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Virtuous Well
Virtuous Well submitted by templar : Photo of the clouties hung up over the Virtuous Well in Trellech. (2 comments - Vote or comment on this photo)

Virtuous Well
Virtuous Well submitted by TimPrevett : Virtuous Well with mistletoe on Boxing Day 2011. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Virtuous Well
Virtuous Well submitted by Sunny100 : The Virtuous Well or St Anne's Well at Trellech. A photo taken in the 1970s. Apologies for the holy well being a little off-centre. Something to do with moving just when you take the photo. You need a steady hand! (Vote or comment on this photo)

Virtuous Well
Virtuous Well submitted by AngieLake : The Virtuous Well in bottom right-hand corner, showing the position of Trellech church. The gate to the field is behind me here. The sign reads:"The Virtuous Well. Once known as St Ann's Well and famous for its cures. It was visited by many pilgrims as late as the seventeenth century. It is said to be four separate springs, three containing iron and each curing a different illness. Its nic... (1 comment - Vote or comment on this photo)

Virtuous Well
Virtuous Well submitted by templar : Close up of the Virtuous Well in Trellech. (1 comment)

Virtuous Well
Virtuous Well submitted by Antonine : 2008

Virtuous Well
Virtuous Well submitted by Antonine

Virtuous Well
Virtuous Well submitted by Antonine

Virtuous Well
Virtuous Well submitted by rogerkread : I was taken by this wayside well in Trellech, which is within the walls of a cottage at the road junction between the Virtuous Well and the stone row.

Virtuous Well
Virtuous Well submitted by melinki : According to my father the square shaped hollows either side of the water contained metal cups attached to chains when he was a child (early 1960s).

Virtuous Well
Virtuous Well submitted by TimPrevett : Is this a depiction of the Virtuous Well on the same sundial as the depiction of Harold's Stones? (1 comment)

Virtuous Well
Virtuous Well submitted by TimPrevett : Fresh clouties at The Virtuous Well.

Virtuous Well
Virtuous Well submitted by jadewood : Site in Monmouthshire (Sir Fynwy)

Virtuous Well
Virtuous Well submitted by jadewood

Virtuous Well
Virtuous Well submitted by hamish : The info' plaque.Part of the Trellech School History Trail.

Virtuous Well
Virtuous Well submitted by hamish : The inevitable Rayon clouties, they'll never rot.

Virtuous Well
Virtuous Well submitted by hamish : This has been nicely renovated, no Health and safety probs other than "I shouldn't drink the Water" I popped my hand in the water and the arthritic ache eased. All in the mind?

Virtuous Well
Virtuous Well submitted by hamish : This is the " Well " head, it was full and overflowing today,as was the weather. (3 comments)

Virtuous Well
Virtuous Well submitted by KiwiBetsy : This well is also known as St Anne’s Well. The stone surround offers places for visitors to leave offerings and the stone seats would also have been welcomed by travellers. In the 18th and 19th centuries the water was considered especially beneficial in the treatment of eye ailments and for treating ‘complaints peculiar to women’. It was also used as a wishing well. Girls wanting t...

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 372m W 277° Harolds Stones* Stone Row / Alignment (SO49930514)
 453m NW 325° Trelleck Churchyard Cross* Ancient Cross (SO5004605466)
 1.6km SW 217° Gaer (Trellech)* Hillfort (SO493038)
 3.8km S 185° Trellech United Standing Stone (Menhir) (SO499013)
 4.5km SSE 156° Tintern 1* Round Barrow(s) (SO5207200980)
 4.5km SSE 158° Tintern 2* Round Barrow(s) (SO5197000913)
 4.6km SSE 156° Lower Halewood Round Barrow(s) (SO521009)
 5.5km E 95° St Bride's Well* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SO5574404515)
 5.6km SE 131° Cup Stone on Mill Hill* Rock Art (SO545014)
 5.7km E 97° The Ancient Barrow Well, St. Briavel's* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SO5593004337)
 6.1km SE 141° Offa's Dyke near Brockweir* Misc. Earthwork (SO541003)
 6.3km ENE 77° Stowe Enclosure* Misc. Earthwork (SO56430643)
 6.6km SSE 156° Blackfield Wood* Hillfort (ST529990)
 6.7km NE 48° Newland Crosses* Ancient Cross (SO5530809511)
 7.2km SSE 168° Gaer Hill Camp* Hillfort (ST517980)
 7.3km WSW 255° Great House Camp* Hillfort (SO432033)
 7.5km SE 131° East Wood Ring Cairn* Ring Cairn (SO5594600157)
 7.5km SW 225° Cwrt-Y-Gaer Misc. Earthwork (ST449998)
 7.7km S 188° Chepstow Park Wood Cairn Cairn (ST491975)
 7.9km NNE 13° Kymin Hill Hillfort (SO521128)
 8.0km N 355° Rockfield Road site* Ancient Village or Settlement (SO4963513072)
 8.0km ENE 66° Clearwell Caves* Ancient Mine, Quarry or other Industry (SO57700822)
 8.1km NNE 27° The Buck Stone (Gloucestershire)* Rock Outcrop (SO541122)
 8.1km NNE 28° The Virgins Cup* Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature (SO54191219)
 8.1km NNE 25° Staunton Broadstones* Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature (SO53741242)
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"Virtuous Well" | Login/Create an Account | 11 News and Comments
  
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Re: Virtuous Well by sem on Tuesday, 13 June 2017
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Coflein OS Grid Ref SO50300509
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Re: Virtuous Well close to the Lost City of Trellech by AngieLake on Tuesday, 04 April 2017
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This interesting archaeological discovery was featured on the news on TV tonight.
Googling found this website, and checking the Google Earth view shows it is in the next field to the well. ( No doubt everyone but me knows this already!)
See here:
http://www.lostcityoftrellech.org/
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Re: Virtuous Well by g4oep on Wednesday, 20 May 2015
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Hi all. I would like to contact someone who has local knowledge of the Trellech area who could provide some info concerning possible springs near Harold's Stones. If you think you can help please contact me via the messaging system of this site.

Andy
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Re: Virtuous Well by coldrum on Monday, 04 January 2010
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Coflein entry.

http://www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/32405/details/VIRTUOUS+WELL%2C+TRELLECK%3BST+ANNE%27S+WELL%3BRED+POOL/
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Re: Virtuous Well by kmhlamia on Wednesday, 13 August 2008
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This is a beautiful place, it's near a quiet road but feels a million miles away from anything. When you sit down in the well on the seats, it's incredibly peaceful. I also like the fact that it's clearly still in use - the tree above the well is covered with a wonderful and diverse array of fabric offerings that I personally liked a great deal.

A very special place - the first time we visited, the well even had a guardian frog swimming around in it!

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Re: Virtuous Well by mishkin on Wednesday, 15 November 2006
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Had to add this; the well is also called St.Anne, 1st Century, she is supposedly the mother of the Virgin Mary, and is seen to replace Anu - earth goddess of Celtic paganism. There are apparently nine wells in Trellech, only four remain.
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Re: Virtuous Well by templar on Monday, 15 November 2004
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Trellech is beautiful village packed with things to see. The well is in a boggy patch of ground obviously inhabited by sheep. There's a public car park near to the Doctor's surgery with a map just over the road which details the various sites in the area (all of which are walkable)
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Re: Virtuous Well by Thorgrim on Monday, 01 November 2004
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In the past, people would leave ribbons and other items of value as a kind of scarifice to gain blessings or healing. At one time this appeal would have been made to local pagan spirits or gods. These were taken over with the introduction of Christianity and saints replaced the earlier pagan entities. Today, misguided people just leave litter instead and often non bio-degradeable fabrics, plastic and underwear are left as "pagan" offerings - an insult to any remaining spirit. Click on the well icon for more information (third from the left)
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Re: Virtuous Well by Anonymous on Monday, 01 November 2004
In the bushes surrounding the well there are tied ribbons and rags. Who does this and why. Is it Christian piety or pagan superstition?
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Re: Virtuous Well by Anonymous on Monday, 23 August 2004
very beautiful and interesting village with many features nearby,
the field with the stones in is for sale at the moment I just hope it goes to someone who looks after it.
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Re: Virtuous Well by Arimus on Saturday, 12 June 2004
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Condition: 4
Ambience: 4
Access: 5

Lovely spot and not too far from the Trellech Stones (3 standing stones)... park just after the well on the right.

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