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Lost Secrets - an adventure during Neolithic times

The Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany, Aubrey Burl

The Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany, Aubrey Burl

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<< Our Photo Pages >> Hermit's Well (East Sussex) - Holy Well or Sacred Spring in England in East Sussex

Submitted by holywell on Saturday, 16 February 2008  Page Views: 14608

Springs and Holy WellsSite Name: Hermit's Well (East Sussex) Alternative Name: Holy well/Wishing well
Country: England County: East Sussex Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring
 Nearest Village: High Hurstwood
Map Ref: TQ495250
Latitude: 51.004967N  Longitude: 0.129445E
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.
5 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.
1 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
2

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Hermit's Well (East Sussex)
Hermit's Well (East Sussex) submitted by holywell : Inside the rock hermitage High Hurstwood (Vote or comment on this photo)
Holy Well or Sacred Spring in East Sussex. An interesting site associated with a remarkable rock cut hermitage, part of which is a private dwelling. The Hermitage is thought to be post Norman, but may be older.

The well itself is a little overgrown and boggy but the old stones can still be seen to the north of the Hermitage. The well is thought to have curative properties locally.

The site is a private residence, hence I have given only an approximate map reference.

The well lies in the grounds of a series of caves. The age of these caves is not known but the house has been built into them. There is a fire place in one part suggesting that it may have been indeed a hermitage. The Hermit's well lies at the end of the more formal part of the grounds, a far distance from the cave. Very little appears to have been recorded about the well. Until I contacted the owner, she only knew the site as the 'Wishing Well', and that it was where the hermit baptised his converts. Its use as a baptismal site is not referred to by the only other source of information:

‘The well in the orchard in front (and north) of this cell. Half way down the orchard (also called the Vineyard) is the Wishing Well, ten feet in diameter...with steining of rough stone with a few blocks apparently worked, and a gap or opening on the east side, probably the former approach or "dipping place"’.(Hope 1893, p.167)

The site is now considerably overgrown and lies in a small copse. Small saplings have encroached upon the edge of the well. Worked stones can still be seen around the edge of the well, and she informed me that probing it revealed a stone bottom. Sadly, the contents are very murky and black.

The spring water formed a marshy stream which ran down into the paddock, forming four pools. There is a mesolithic site nearby suggesting an ancient origin for the site.

It must be stressed that The Hermitage and wishing well lie on private land, and uninvited guests are not welcomed. However, the owner is proud of the estate she has acquired and hopes to open the site for future Garden Open Days. More details can be read at the Living Spring Journal, from which I have taken the extracts with permission.
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Hermit's Well (East Sussex)
Hermit's Well (East Sussex) submitted by HOLYWELL : Site in East Sussex The front door of the Hermitage (Vote or comment on this photo)

Hermit's Well (East Sussex)
Hermit's Well (East Sussex) submitted by holywell : The Hermit's Well, High Hurstwood (Vote or comment on this photo)

Do not use the above information on other web sites or publications without permission of the contributor.

Nearby Images from Geograph Britain and Ireland:
TQ4925 : Bracken filled footpath near The Hermitage by Dave Spicer
by Dave Spicer
©2010(licence)
TQ4925 : Woodland near The Hermitage by N Chadwick
by N Chadwick
©2021(licence)
TQ4925 : Overgrown footpath by N Chadwick
by N Chadwick
©2021(licence)
TQ4924 : Hermitage West by N Chadwick
by N Chadwick
©2021(licence)
TQ4925 : Hermitage Rocks by Simon Carey
by Simon Carey
©2009(licence)

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 4.5km NW 317° Duddleswell Round Barrow(s) (TQ463282)
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 14.7km NNE 27° High Rocks Settlement Ancient Village or Settlement (TQ559382)
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