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The Significance of Monuments

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<< Our Photo Pages >> St Gwenfaens Well - Holy Well or Sacred Spring in Wales in Anglesey

Submitted by coldrum on Wednesday, 27 January 2010  Page Views: 10441

Springs and Holy WellsSite Name: St Gwenfaens Well Alternative Name: Ffynnon Wenfaen
Country: Wales County: Anglesey Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring

Map Ref: SH2594975436
Latitude: 53.247324N  Longitude: 4.610071W
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
 no data Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
 no data 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.
 no data 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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cactus_chris visited on 23rd Sep 2019 - their rating: Cond: 5 Amb: 5 Access: 2 Only accessible from the Anglesey Coastal Path.

oehaaa visited on 4th Jan 2014 - their rating: Cond: 4 Access: 3 st gwenfaen pray the God for us.

guile have visited here

Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 4.5 Access: 2.5

St Gwenfaens Well
St Gwenfaens Well submitted by guile : St. Gwenfaen's Well. According to legend St. Gwenfaen was pursued by Vikings, she ran from her cell in Rhoscolyn Church to the well, ascended the nearby rock stack and was carried to heaven and safety by angels right before the reavers eyes. (Vote or comment on this photo)
Holy Well in Anglesey (Sir Ynys Mon)

"The remains of a well house, probably medieval, are located in a dell above a bay, Porth Gwalch, in the cliffs of Holy Island. The building, known as St Gwenfaen's Well, stood above a natural east-west cleft in the rock some 1.5-2.0m deep and only the base of the western facade and the substructure set within the cleft survive.

The well house was a massive drystone structure 4.5m east-west by originally 5.5m. Internally, within the cleft, there is a chamber about 2.0m square, entered by steps leading down from the east, with a pool or bath, recessed in its western wall. The chamber has a paved floor and diagonal slab seats at the angles. Steps lead down from the chamber into the bath, which is roughly 1.2m long and 0.6m wide, with deep recessed seats on either side.

There is a larger rectangular pool in the cleft outside the west wall of the well house. It is about 1.5m across and its waters, held back by a stone slab, are at the same level as those of the bath within. The sides of the cleft are ramped here to allow access. The water flows out through a small hole in the slab into a 4.6m long paved channel, eventually finding a small pool some 35m west of the well house, above Porth Gwalch."

Source: Coflein.
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St Gwenfaens Well
St Gwenfaens Well submitted by Sunny100 : A close-up view of St Gwenfaen's Well near Rhoscolyn. The well chamber has stone seats across each corner, and an outer pool with steps leading into the water. The water was said to cure mental illness. St Gwenfaen, daughter of Pawl Hen of Manaw, was a 6th/7th century Nun. (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Gwenfaens Well
St Gwenfaens Well submitted by guile : The third chamber of the well. (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Gwenfaens Well
St Gwenfaens Well submitted by AngieLake : Looking across the structure towards approx SW, with sea on the right, one can see another pool of water a short distance away. (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Gwenfaens Well
St Gwenfaens Well submitted by AngieLake : Standing on the steps, looking down into the chamber of the well, showing the ledges at each corner for seats and the small pool through the gap at the west of the area. (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Gwenfaens Well
St Gwenfaens Well submitted by guile : St. Gwenfaen's Well, showing the first and second chamber. St. Gwenfaen assists with mental problems, and the supplicant is supposed to bring two quartz crystals and throw them into the well. You would have to be mad to drink the water.

St Gwenfaens Well
St Gwenfaens Well submitted by cactus_chris : 20190923--St Gwenfaen's Well, Rhoscolyn, Anglesey

St Gwenfaens Well
St Gwenfaens Well submitted by AngieLake : Early evening sunlight reflects the outer west wall into the waters of the most western pool, also showing the overflow that channels the water down to the cliffs.

St Gwenfaens Well
St Gwenfaens Well submitted by AngieLake : Looking down at the well and where it joins the outer pool at the west of the structure.

St Gwenfaens Well
St Gwenfaens Well submitted by AngieLake : Looking down from outside the well's walls at the area of the small pool on the west side of the chamber.

St Gwenfaens Well
St Gwenfaens Well submitted by AngieLake : Beautiful coastal scenery on walk from Rhoscolyn to St Gwenfaen's Well. This view looking back towards Holyhead Mountain in the distance. (Walking from church, west then south along coast path to well.)

St Gwenfaens Well
St Gwenfaens Well submitted by guile : Approaching the well from the north, there is an old coastguard lookout on the headland, as well as a Trig. point.

St Gwenfaens Well
St Gwenfaens Well submitted by AngieLake : Looking out of the chamber via the steps, the ground rises quite a bit here. A sheep was quite alarmed when it spotted my head sticking out of the well chamber!

St Gwenfaens Well
St Gwenfaens Well submitted by AngieLake : I left my 'offering' of this shell in a ledge near the steps on 3rd July. Be interesting if any Portal members visit, to see if it is still there.

St Gwenfaens Well
St Gwenfaens Well submitted by AngieLake : From my perch on the seat near the steps the overflow hole in the little pool at [inside] west of chamber can just be seen.

St Gwenfaens Well
St Gwenfaens Well submitted by AngieLake : Close up of ledge seat just inside the chamber with steps on right. I sat inside on the ledge opposite for a while. 3.7.13

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 765m N 354° Bwa Gwyn* Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature (SH259762)
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 1.2km NNE 16° Cromlech in Rhoscolyn* Burial Chamber or Dolmen (SH2634376610)
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 3.4km N 10° Trearddur standing stone* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SH267788)
 3.8km NNE 24° Ynys Leurad* Ancient Village or Settlement (SH2764978895)
 4.8km ENE 75° Llyn Cerrig Bach* Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature (SH30607650)
 4.8km N 3° Trearddur Dolmen* Burial Chamber or Dolmen (SH264802)
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 5.4km NW 315° Fort Dinas, Porth Ruffydd* Promontory Fort / Cliff Castle (SH22277941)
 5.5km N 352° Ty Mawr (Nr Holyhead)* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SH2539480951)
 5.8km NNW 337° Carreg y Bwgan* Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature (SH2390380891)
 6.4km NNW 327° Penrhos-Feilw* Standing Stones (SH22708094)
 6.4km N 6° Penrhos (Holyhead)* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SH26828183)
 6.8km NW 320° South Stack Stone Pile* Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature (SH2177880876)
 7.0km NNW 331° Gorsedd Gwlwm* Chambered Cairn (SH2275681655)
 7.3km NNW 348° Caer Gybi Roman Fort* Stone Fort or Dun (SH2471882615)
 7.7km NNW 330° Ffynnon y Wrach* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SH22328226)
 7.9km NW 325° Maen Bras* Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature (SH21608210)
 8.1km NW 321° Holyhead Mountain* Ancient Village or Settlement (SH21128196)
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 8.3km ESE 122° Mynydd Bach* Round Cairn (SH32847086)
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Re: St Gwenfæns Well by guile on Tuesday, 04 May 2010
(User Info | Send a Message)
Condition:3
Ambience:4
Access:2

I sat in the well, on one of the four corner seats in the first chamber and drank a cup of tea. A beautiful sunny day, the view was amazing and I was completely sheltered from the wind. Some choughs wheeled overhead.

Traditionally, St. Gwenfæn helps with mental problems, and people are supposed to bring 2 quartz pebbles for her assistance. You would have to be mad to drink from this well though. ;-)

A lovely long cliff top walk.
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