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<< Our Photo Pages >> St. Agnes Well - Holy Well or Sacred Spring in England in Somerset

Submitted by holywell on Friday, 13 January 2017  Page Views: 17755

Springs and Holy WellsSite Name: St. Agnes Well Alternative Name: Holy well
Country: England County: Somerset Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring
Nearest Town: Taunton  Nearest Village: Cothelstone
Map Ref: ST18423186
Latitude: 51.080239N  Longitude: 3.165981W
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.
4 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
4

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I have visited· I would like to visit

lichen visited on 20th May 2022 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 4

kflueck visited on 11th Sep 2013 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 5 Access: 4 You drive from Bishop's Lydeard towards Cothelstone. Park in the curve just out of Cothelsone. Coming from Cothelstone the well is on the left hand side, behinde the small creek. The first signpost is not easy to see beside of the road due to overgrown woods. It takes you down to the small creek and further to a pasture. At the second signepost follow it towards northeast and in the corner is St. Agnes Well. About 5min. to walk. The Well is very nice setup and wonderfully restored. A nice and quiet site full of privacy. The Water wonderfull and fresh. Interesting history and legends about Pixies and the use of this holy water. Worth to see and discover.

hevveh have visited here

Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 4 Ambience: 4.5 Access: 4

St. Agnes Well
St. Agnes Well submitted by dodomad : Well decorations, photo credit: Well Obsessed on Facebook (Vote or comment on this photo)
This is a delightful find, resembling many such sites encountered in Cornwall, the author of a book of Somerset Holy wells (Horne) describes it as "the most beautiful of the Holy wells of Somerset".

[This section written before the recent restoration:] An ancient conical well house often swamped by tall horsetails and covered in fernery and herbs, which lends a rustic and mysterious feel to the site. Removing the surrounding vegetation will reveal more of this little six foot high conical stone structure.

Its water is accessed via an arched doorway on the west side, believed by Horne (1923 ) to show clearly its Perpendicular origins (although there is no written evidence.) Once opening the small wooden door, one can see that a large volume of clear shallow water. According to Horne (1923) the water rises from the centre and flows under the step to an underground channel some distance to emerge as a large pool : obviously for livestock. A pipe leads out of the well indicating that it is directly tanked for farm use.

Horne (1923) suggests that the dedication may have been inspired by a lady of the manor of the name of Agnes Cheney, who married the local squire, Edward Stowel. The well was once visited by lovers, usually on St Agnes' Eve to find their futures.

It is a bit difficult to find look for a small iron gate set in the side of the road to Cothelstone Hill. Cross a stream and turning right the well will be clearly seen, if probably immersed in foliage.

Note: Details of a recent project to restore St. Agnes Well along with a free iPhone app which tells its history
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St. Agnes Well
St. Agnes Well submitted by Runemage : Image by WellWisdom taken in March 2007. (1 comment - Vote or comment on this photo)

St. Agnes Well
St. Agnes Well submitted by kflueck : St. Agnes Well in 2014 (Vote or comment on this photo)

St. Agnes Well
St. Agnes Well submitted by lichen : St. Agnes Well as seen on 21/5/2022 (Vote or comment on this photo)

St. Agnes Well
St. Agnes Well submitted by lichen : Path marker to St. Agnes Well on 21/5/2022 (Vote or comment on this photo)

St. Agnes Well
St. Agnes Well submitted by Antonine : 2016 (Vote or comment on this photo)

St. Agnes Well
St. Agnes Well submitted by dodomad : The tidied up well. Photo credit: Well Obsessed on Facebook

St. Agnes Well
St. Agnes Well submitted by dodomad : Students from Bridgwater College were help with the well restoration process, learning about natural stone masonry and historic building restoration work. Photo credit: Well Obsessed on Facebook

St. Agnes Well
St. Agnes Well submitted by kflueck : Information Board at St. Agnes Well

St. Agnes Well
St. Agnes Well submitted by kflueck : St. Agnes Well with information board

St. Agnes Well
St. Agnes Well submitted by HOLYWELL : Almost lost in undergrowth is St. Agnes' well Somerset

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 2.6km SW 219° Devil's Whispering Well* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (ST1671029841)
 3.8km NNW 329° Wills Neck* Barrow Cemetery (ST16533516)
 4.4km N 359° Plainsfield Camp* Misc. Earthwork (ST18433622)
 4.5km NNW 332° Triscombe Stone* Standing Stone (Menhir) (ST16363592)
 5.2km NNW 327° Great Hill Platform cairn* Barrow Cemetery (ST15653625)
 5.7km SSE 167° Norton Fitzwarren* Hillfort (ST196263)
 6.1km NNW 330° West Hill Platform Cairn* Cairn (ST15423717)
 6.2km NW 325° Fire Beacon Cairn* Cairn (ST14913697)
 6.6km NNW 340° Dead Woman's Ditch* Misc. Earthwork (ST162381)
 7.0km NNW 333° Wilmots Pool Cairn* Cairn (ST15303813)
 7.4km NNW 328° Black Hill Tumuli* Barrow Cemetery (ST14653819)
 7.5km NW 325° Hurley Beacon Tumulus* Cairn (ST14223808)
 7.7km NNW 341° Dowsborough Castle* Hillfort (ST160392)
 8.3km SSE 150° Museum of Somerset* Museum (ST225246)
 8.5km NW 325° Halsway Tumuli* Barrow Cemetery (ST137389)
 9.0km NW 323° Thorncombe Hill Cairns* Barrow Cemetery (ST13183914)
 9.4km WSW 246° Kings Castle Hillfort (ST097282)
 9.5km NW 322° Thorncombe Barrow* Cairn (ST12733942)
 9.9km NNW 334° Holford Standing Stone* Standing Stone (Menhir) (ST142408)
 10.0km NW 318° Trendle Ring* Ancient Village or Settlement (ST118394)
 10.3km SE 134° Cambria Farm Ancient Village or Settlement (ST257246)
 10.5km NW 308° Curdon Camp Hillfort (ST102385)
 10.6km NE 35° Cannington Camp* Hillfort (ST246405)
 10.9km NW 326° Beacon Hill Platform Cairn* Barrow Cemetery (ST12434101)
 11.1km N 8° St Andrew's Well (Stogursey)* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (ST20224282)
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"St. Agnes Well" | Login/Create an Account | 8 News and Comments
  
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Re: St. Agnes Well by NickyShier on Wednesday, 07 February 2018
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I live not far from here..the water is lovely..coming from Bishops Lydeard..follow Cothelstone Road .when you get to the big manor house on your left slow down..you will see the entrance to the well on your left..go thru 2 little gates.. give the well a wide left birth or you'll be up to your ankles in spongy stuff!
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A 2 minute video about restoring St Agnes Holy Well Cothelstone by Andy B on Friday, 13 January 2017
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQgpF4LMRmw
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Dating St Agnes Holy Well Cothelstone by Andy B on Friday, 13 January 2017
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Dr Richard Lee who is a researcher from the National Wells Index run by http://www.hereditarius.org.uk writes:

The well is a most interesting site. There are numerous comparisons for the structure, especially in the South West. The diagnostic element is the doorway. Both Horn and the EH SMR point to this doorway being Medieval and, though this is said with deep reservation on my behalf, I cannot see anything to explicitly challenge this logic.

The logic is as follows: the door conforms to a sub-group of a style of gothic design, also known by, and indeed cited by Horn as, the perpendicular style. Now because the date range for the Gothic style is 12ish to early 16th century, and the perpendicular exists mostly from the 14th to early 16th century, so the well is late medieval.

Now as to my thinking on this. Well this is such a provincial piece of work it is hard to guess what style it is, or even if it was meant to imitate a style. I think the perpendicular dating is optimistic, but it still appears to lend a credible date to the site I think when the broader history of wells is considered. I doubt this doorway is symptomatic of the gothic revival from the mid 18th century, so I think until anything more diagnostic comes along then I to would ascribe, with caution, for as EH says this is a very difficult to date site with little diagnostic in the architecture, to the 15-18 century with 19-20c alterations, probably with elements occurring earlier rather than later in this range. "

Dr Ricard Lee
Source: http://www.wellobsessed.com/st-agnes-holy-well-cothelstone
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A new iPhone/iPad App tells the story of St Agnes Holy Well in Cothelstone by Andy B on Friday, 02 September 2016
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A new free App has been released to tell the story of St Agnes Holy Well in Cothelstone. The App is the culmination of 14 month’s work led by Debbie McKenna and Becky Wright of New Leaf Life Design in partnership with Bridgwater College’s Entry to Land Based Studies students and Alex Roland of YourITNow.

The project came about after Becky found the small Well located on an OS map. The Well was very overgrown and in a state of disrepair when she finally found it and having spoken to the landowner she gained permission to clean up the area.

On researching the Well further it was found to be Grade 2 listed and had in fact been considered one of the most beautiful Wells in the County in its day. The story of how this all came about and the painstaking restoration is all told on the App.

Alex and Becky’s share the same passion for conservation which led them to form this unique partnership, and it is this partnership which has resulted in the first App ever to be created by young people to support a heritage project.

Students from Bridgwater College were given the opportunity to be part of the whole restoration process, learning about natural stone masonry and historic building restoration work. They took part in two projects, one based around Art led by Artist, Lucy Large and the other to help develop creative writing using the folklore surrounding the Well. This was led by Storyteller Chris Jelly. Both these projects can be viewed and heard on the App.

In May this year, the Well was officially opened with a Well Dressing Ceremony and there is a video of this occasion filmed by Dan Gale available via the App.

The app was funded by Bishops Lydeard Parish Council, The Heritage Lottery and New Leaf Life Design.

Parish and County Councillor for the area, Mike Rigby, was set on supporting the project as soon as Becky brought it to his attention. He said, "It's fabulous to see forgotten parts of our heritage uncovered and restored by public-spirited individuals and organisations. Download the App and take a trip to the well."

Iain Porter, Development Officer Quantock Hills AONB Service said, “This is a wonderful example of a community led project which has restored and increased our understanding of the heritage of the Quantock Hills and Cothelstone in particular. Becky’s enthusiasm and the engagement of the other partners have ensured the success of this project and the conservation of the Well into the future.”

The App has original music on it by Jon Guard and a unique sound walk which transports the listener back to the Well and the sounds around it.

The App is free and currently only available for Apple products. It can be downloaded at
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/holy-well/id1139540831?mt=8

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For more details of the well visit Cultural Secrets of Somerset
http://www.visit-exmoor.co.uk/culture-secrets#wells
https://www.facebook.com/wellobsessed/
http://www.wellobsessed.com
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Re: St Agnes Holy Well by TheCaptain on Monday, 20 January 2014
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the path to the well on streetview

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    Re: St Agnes Holy Well by Andy B on Friday, 13 January 2017
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    Directions: The well lies within the Cothelstone Estate and by the side of Cothelstone road, the national grid reference is ST 18403 31852. From Bishops Lydeard follow the road to Cothelstone and as you start to climb the hill there is a signpost to the footpath on the left. Follow this into the field and you will come to a sign for St.Agnes Well. As the leaves have yet to fully appear the Well is visible from the road if you look hard.
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Re: Restoring St Agnes Holy Well Cothelstone by Lucy_Skywalker on Friday, 04 September 2009
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Beautiful. Pixy energy there.
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Restoring St Agnes Holy Well Cothelstone by bat400 on Wednesday, 10 December 2008
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I am in the process of restoring a Holy well called St Agnes based at Cothelstone in Somerset. I would be very interested in talking with people who have embarked on a similar project. Please get in touch new.leaf@virgin.net Thanks Becky
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