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<< Our Photo Pages >> Finglandrigg Spa Well (Chalybeate) - Holy Well or Sacred Spring in England in Cumbria

Submitted by Anne T on Tuesday, 07 June 2022  Page Views: 1229

Springs and Holy WellsSite Name: Finglandrigg Spa Well (Chalybeate) Alternative Name: Toddel Holy Well (Langrigg); Spa Well (Chalybeate)
Country: England County: Cumbria Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring
Nearest Town: Carlisle  Nearest Village: Kirkbampton
Map Ref: NY2770956749
Latitude: 54.900214N  Longitude: 3.128826W
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
2 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
2 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.
3 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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Anne T visited on 4th Jun 2022 - their rating: Cond: 2 Amb: 3 Access: 3 Finglandrigg Spa Well: A very pleasant walk through this nature reserve, although the well is not where the published map says it is. In the end, we walked round and round, then tried to find a spot with a phone signal so we could find a rough grid reference, which we acquired from the Old Cumbria Gazetteer. Some 50m from the published path, down a grassy 'lane'. Ruined, but ticked this one off the list. Am trying to trace what properties this water had, and added the nearby Toddel Well to my list of places to visit in the near future.

Finglandrigg Spa Well (Chalybeate)
Finglandrigg Spa Well (Chalybeate) submitted by Anne T : There's nothing left of the information board shown on old photographs of this well. See Heritage and History for photographs taken in 2009. (Vote or comment on this photo)
We found this site listed in the "Finglandrigg Wood: National Nature Reserve" leaflet/booklet where it talks about the 'Chalybeate Well Walk (wheelchair accessible)'. It describes the well as "... a small stone structure which is adjacent to one of the waymarked trails on the reserve. The name 'Chalybeate' means contains salts of iron or tasting of iron. In the early 17th century, such water was promoted for its healing and health giving properties.

Source: Finglandrigg Wood (PDF - Natural England)

There are many Chalybeate springs around the UK, one of the most noted being in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, founded by Lord Dudley North in 1606. The spa towns of Bath and Harrogate are famous for sulphate rich mineral waters."

The location of the well is shown on the HE map search, but there are no records on the Heritage Gateway for this spa well. I am still researching Antiquarian information about the location. I have come across mention of the "Toddel Well" near Kirkbampton, which is also near this site, in McIntyre's 1944 paper "The Holy Wells of Cumberland".

The information board at the entrance to the Woods (parking is available in a lay-by at NY 28354 57098) tells us that the Chalybeate Well Walk is 1500 metres and takes an hour. I confess I would not like to do this walk in a wheelchair as in some areas the path is very narrow, and covered in long grass in others.

Despite the location of the well being marked on the trail guide, we spent a good hour (perhaps longer) walking round and round searching for the well. In the end, after having located a vague grid reference for the well, my husband found it some 50 metres off the Blye Walk track, down an unmarked grassy track, completely derelict and dry.

A beautiful wood which attracts dog walkers and bird watchers with large zoom lenses, the walk is lovely. Worth finding the well, if only to tick it off my list of wells that we've visited.

[Update July 2022: This well is recorded as Cumbria Historic Environment Record number 3747, which tells us: 'Toddel Well, holy well near Langrigg, formerly esteemed as a cure for colds. Measures 0.7 x 0.5m, contained on 3 sides by slabs of stone 0.9m high. Listed on OS maps as Spa Well (Chalybeate).' Note that McIntyre, in his 1944 document "Holy Wells of Cumbria" (p11), tells us: "The Toddel Well," a chalybeate spring, near Langrigg, formerly esteemed as a cure for sores" (not colds, as recorded by CHER)".

Curiously, Hope, in his 1893 publication "The Legendary Lore of the Holy Wells of England" (p41-42) says of Toddel Well: "No one now seeks Toddel Well in the township of Longrigg. It was formerly the belief in this parish that the waters of this well had a similar efficacy to the pool of Bethesda, where scrofula sores and all sorts of skin diseases could be healed. A bonfire was an annual dissipation on the eve of St. John the Baptist, the lads and lasses rushing through the smoke and flames singing, 'wake, awake, for sin gale's sake.'" Whether or not there is a second well in the vicinity, and the two have become confused, I am unsure. More research needed!]
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Finglandrigg Spa Well (Chalybeate)
Finglandrigg Spa Well (Chalybeate) submitted by Anne T : Standing just to the east of the stone structure of this Spa Well. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Finglandrigg Spa Well (Chalybeate)
Finglandrigg Spa Well (Chalybeate) submitted by Anne T : Getting slightly closer to the stone well structure, it becomes more visible through the undergrowth. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Finglandrigg Spa Well (Chalybeate)
Finglandrigg Spa Well (Chalybeate) submitted by Anne T : The stone structure of the well is supposed to be adjacent to the Blue Trail, but is some 50m past the sign post, down a grassy track. Thanks to the grid reference given by the Old Cumbria Gazetteer, we were finally able to track down the exact location of this well, after hunting around for ages with the Nature Reserve guide. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Finglandrigg Spa Well (Chalybeate)
Finglandrigg Spa Well (Chalybeate) submitted by Anne T : Braving the thick brambles and fallen branches to look inside the well 'house'. Whilst it may not be absolutely dry at the bottom, there was thick mud, but that may have just been due to the collection of rain within the stone structure. (Vote or comment on this photo)

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Nearby Images from Geograph Britain and Ireland:
NY2756 : Chalybeate well, Finglandrigg Wood by Rose and Trev Clough
by Rose and Trev Clough
©2012(licence)
NY2756 : Chalybeate Well by Malcolm Jones
by Malcolm Jones
©2005(licence)
NY2756 : Memorial to Derek Ratcliffe by Rose and Trev Clough
by Rose and Trev Clough
©2015(licence)
NY2756 : Tree sculpture, Finglandrigg by Simon Huguet
by Simon Huguet
©2008(licence)
NY2756 : Wood pasture, Finglandrigg by Simon Huguet
by Simon Huguet
©2008(licence)

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