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<< Our Photo Pages >> Leech Wells - Holy Well or Sacred Spring in England in Devon

Submitted by KiwiBetsy on Friday, 19 November 2004  Page Views: 16640

Springs and Holy WellsSite Name: Leech Wells
Country: England County: Devon Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring

Map Ref: SX799603
Latitude: 50.430235N  Longitude: 3.692294W
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
3

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I have visited· I would like to visit

sophiewilder visited on 1st Jan 2013 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 4 The waters do not flow as readily as they used to years ago, this is possibly because of new houses being built further up the hill.

Catrinm visited on 27th Mar 1992 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 5 Access: 4

Richard Wells AngieLake cazzyjane have visited here

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

Leech Wells
Leech Wells submitted by KiwiBetsy : The Leech Wells. Still believed locally to possess healing properties. (Vote or comment on this photo)
The Leech Wells are a wet, oozy place in the high walled, toadflax and aubretia hung, Leech Well Lane where three springs flow into granite troughs. There are three springs - one for healing, one for good luck and one simply as a place of veneration.

They are reached via Leechwell Street, from High Street, in Totnes, where it veers left at the top of the hill and the return journey to the bottom of the hill can be made via steep stepped alleyways between the lovely gardens of local homes.

They were believed to have medicinal properties especially if one suffered from leprosy. Town Wardens were responsible for these wells back when they were a place of pilgrimage.

Tarka Holy Wells Project
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Leech Wells
Leech Wells submitted by cazzyjane : Leech Wells. Totnes. A magickal place with three separate water spouts each with their own stone trough and own name. Long Crippler is a cure for eye problems, Toad for skin problems and Snake for snake bites and disorders of the spirit. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Leech Wells
Leech Wells submitted by Richard Wells : Photo taken in August 2018. Lots of chalk messages now written on back wall. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Leech Wells
Leech Wells submitted by cazzyjane : Leech Wells, Totnes. One of the oldest and most important wells in Devon, still used and loved today. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Leech Wells
Leech Wells submitted by Richard Wells : Photo taken in August 2018. The well is signposted by the blue painted house next to the Kingsbridge Inn in Leechwell Street. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Leech Wells
Leech Wells submitted by AngieLake : Trying to get a good picture of all of the Leechwells is difficult without a wide-angled lens. Three rectangular apertures are visible here, (the smaller is far left, just right of the greenery, and its neighbour above the pile of earth) plus two troughs (one just right of the pile of earth, and its neighbour central foreground) and the corner of another. It's a slippery place to stand! (1 comment - Vote or comment on this photo)

Leech Wells
Leech Wells submitted by AngieLake : KiwiBetsy describes the journey to this well beautifully. Here is the lane (Leechwell Lane) that leads down from the top of Totnes town. Once you've hunted it out - tucked away in a corner past some cottages - it is like entering a magical tunnel with the overhanging trees and dappled sunlight filtering through. You have the feeling that you've stepping back in time. Looking uphill here, a...

Leech Wells
Leech Wells submitted by AngieLake : Leechwells, Totnes. The well in the centre of the area, with its railings festooned with colourful ribbons on 3 June 06. It is very cave-like inside.

Leech Wells
Leech Wells submitted by AngieLake : Difficult to photograph from any distance because of the slope of the lane, and the depth of the well from the road. (I'm standing opposite, on the bend of the lane as it goes downhill.) This shows the width and height of the entrance, and the canopy of trees. A manhole cover is in centre foreground. A morning photograph would cast more light into the well itself, but I was here on afternoon of 3 ...

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 416m ENE 72° Totnes Museum* Museum (SX8030060419)
 469m ENE 75° The Brutus Stone* Marker Stone (SX8035760411)
 7.2km NNE 12° Three Holes Cave Cave or Rock Shelter (SX815673)
 7.3km S 191° Halwell Camp North East* Hillfort (SX784532)
 7.3km NNE 12° Tornewton Cave Cave or Rock Shelter (SX816674)
 7.4km NNE 12° Brokern Cavern Cave or Rock Shelter (SX81596748)
 7.8km NE 37° Ipplepen Iron Age Settlement* Ancient Village or Settlement (SX848664)
 8.4km N 10° Denbury* Hillfort (SX816685)
 8.6km SSW 195° Ritson Barrows Barrow Cemetery (SX77435204)
 9.0km NNE 27° Dornafield Tumulus* Round Barrow(s) (SX842682)
 9.0km SSW 196° Halwell Camp South West* Hillfort (SX77255165)
 9.6km W 277° Brent Hill* Hillfort (SX7039061670)
 9.8km ESE 106° Broadsands Chambered Tomb* Chambered Tomb (SX89315732)
 10.0km WNW 286° Tynacombe Ring Cairn (SX70376328)
 10.0km NE 35° Ladywell (Abbotskerswell)* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SX858684)
 10.1km NNW 332° St Gudula's Well* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SX754694)
 10.7km WNW 295° Skerraton Down Round Cairn (SX703650)
 10.9km NW 317° Hembury Castle* Hillfort (SX7263868449)
 11.3km WNW 294° Harbourne Head Standing Stone* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SX69686509)
 11.4km SW 222° Blackdown Rings Hillfort (SX720520)
 11.7km NNE 22° Newton Abbot Fort Hillfort (SX846710)
 11.7km WNW 292° Harbourne Head B* Ring Cairn (SX6914265001)
 11.7km WNW 292° Harbourne Head A* Ring Cairn (SX6911765034)
 12.2km NE 45° Doda Well* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SX887688)
 12.3km WNW 283° Black Tor (Avon)* Ancient Village or Settlement (SX67916338)
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"Leech Wells" | Login/Create an Account | 6 News and Comments
  
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Re: Leech Wells Future Uncertain. by Anonymous on Saturday, 25 September 2010
surely if they are a protected monument, it is up to heritage to cover the cost of repair.

tom
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Leech Wells Future Uncertain. by AngieLake on Thursday, 28 January 2010
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Uncertainty over future of historic Leechwells

THE ancient healing Leechwells of Totnes have turned into a sorry set of sick leakwells — and no one knows how or when they will be fixed.

In fact no one even knows who actually owns the old wells whose healing properties have been legend in Totnes for 1,000 years.

And so far no one has said they will come up with the £5,000 it will cost to get the wells — which are protected as a scheduled monument — working properly again.

Read more here:
http://www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk/news/Uncertainty-future-historic-Leechwells/article-1762704-detail/article.html

From Herald Express online paper.
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Leech Wells' Water Leaking Away by AngieLake on Sunday, 04 October 2009
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There's an interesting story about the leaky wells on the South Devon newspaper - the Herald Express - website:
http://www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk/news/Ancient-wells-secret-8212-owner/article-1388976-detail/article.html

"Ancient wells must give up last secret — their owner
Saturday, October 03, 2009, 07:00
THE LEECHWELLS of Totnes, which have been supplying the town with 'magic' healing water for more than 1,000 years, have one last secret to give up — who owns them.

The wells, hidden away at the bottom of one of the town's ancient walled walkways, are themselves looking a bit sick because the supposedly healing water is leaking away.

The repair bill is likely to run to the £10,000 mark.

And now the hunt is on to discover who has the responsibility for stumping up the cash.

Totnes Town Council, which has the responsibility for appointing a warden to keep an eye on the wells, is looking at employing a solicitor to do the detective work."
[See more on link above.]
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Leech Wells by AngieLake on Thursday, 25 November 2004
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According to Terry Faull in his lovely new book on Devon's Holy Wells: Secrets of the Hidden Source, published by Halsgrove, '04:
".............The water spouts have names: Long Crippler which is a cure for problems of the eyes, Toad is a cure for skin problems, and Snake for snake bites and disorders of the spirit. The well was used as a source of water for the town and may have been connected with a leper hospital which existed near here in the Middle Ages. One of the most ancient and important Holy Wells in Devon.
Traditional uses: Healing and fortune telling."
[ Reply to This ]
    Re: Leech Wells by AngieLake on Tuesday, 04 July 2006
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    Answering my own posting! - I was lucky enough to win this book recently in a local newspaper competition!
    [ Reply to This ]

Re: Leech Wells by AngieLake on Friday, 19 November 2004
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Thanks for this pic and directions! Though I live near Totnes, I haven't visited this well. I made an effort to find it recently, but obviously went the wrong way!
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