<< Our Photo Pages >> St Levan's Well - Holy Well or Sacred Spring in England in Cornwall
Submitted by JimChampion on Saturday, 30 August 2008 Page Views: 18853
Springs and Holy WellsSite Name: St Levan's WellCountry: England County: Cornwall Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring
Nearest Town: St. Just Nearest Village: Porthcurno
Map Ref: SW38082193 Landranger Map Number: 203
Latitude: 50.039745N Longitude: 5.659362W
Condition:
5 | Perfect |
4 | Almost Perfect |
3 | Reasonable but with some damage |
2 | Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site |
1 | Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks |
0 | No data. |
-1 | Completely destroyed |
5 | Superb |
4 | Good |
3 | Ordinary |
2 | Not Good |
1 | Awful |
0 | No data. |
5 | Can be driven to, probably with disabled access |
4 | Short walk on a footpath |
3 | Requiring a bit more of a walk |
2 | A long walk |
1 | In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find |
0 | No data. |
5 | co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates |
4 | co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map |
3 | co-ordinates scaled from a bad map |
2 | co-ordinates of the nearest village |
1 | co-ordinates of the nearest town |
0 | no data |
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I have visited· I would like to visit
TheCaptain visited on 14th Jun 2023 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 5 Access: 3 After lunch I head back to Porthgwarra for a drink at the café, then on around the cliffs to Porth Chapel, where St Levan's well sits prominently above the beach. This used to be the way down past the chapel, but the path is falling down into the sea, so is no longer the through route. There is a little chapel building beside the little well, with water in it even after a hot dry month. I head round and then down to Porth Chapel beach, where I clearly remember having heatstroke back in the 1960s when I was about 7. I still remember that hurt and my brainfog, in my red hat with my plastic boat in the rock pool fed by the stream. Its still there, exactly as I remember it, despite having never been back since then. Up above the beach can be seen the remains of the chapel, which has recently been stabilised and excavated, with a little exhibition in St Levan's church. Its not easy to get down onto this beautiful beach, having to clamber down the cliffs. Quite how we did this all those years ago as a family with all the stuff we would have taken is beyond me!
Catrinm visited on 14th Jul 2020 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 5 Access: 3
lucasn visited on 21st Jul 2018 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 3
JimChampion hamish cazzyjane have visited here
Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 3.33 Ambience: 4.67 Access: 3
The site was first recorded by Borlase in the mid-18th century, when it had a roof. The undressed stonework has been compared to a typical 'Cornish hedge'. More recently the well has been restored by the addition of a protective wall on the northern side.
Water from the well is still sometimes used for baptisms, but in times gone by it was believed to cure toothache and eye diseases. Sleeping at the well increased the chances of a cure; given the tiny size of the well this wouldn't have been very comfortable.
There is an associated chapel (recorded in the place name "Porth Chapel") not far below the well, reputedly where St Selevan himself lived. The stone steps down to the chapel were excavated in the 1930s and are still in use, mainly for access to the sandy beach. The chapel's two small rooms were built on platforms cut into the cliff face and could date from the eighth century, making it the oldest Christian building in Cornwall.
Access The well can be reached only on foot, either by the coastal path (between Porthcurno and Porthgwarra), or by a footpath from St Levan church to Porth Chapel beach.
References
- Susan Hoyle, The Church of St Levan: A Guide & History, Hypatia Publications, Penzance, 2007.
- Craig Weatherhill, Belerion: Ancient Sits of Land's End, Alison Hodge, Penzance, 1981.
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