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How and why the ancients enchanted Great Britain and Brittany

The Ancient Celts, Barry Cunliffe

The Ancient Celts, Barry Cunliffe

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<< Our Photo Pages >> St Ruan's Well (Cadgwith) - Holy Well or Sacred Spring in England in Cornwall

Submitted by Thorgrim on Monday, 29 March 2004  Page Views: 16882

Springs and Holy WellsSite Name: St Ruan's Well (Cadgwith)
Country: England County: Cornwall Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring
Nearest Town: Lizard Point  Nearest Village: Cadgwith
Map Ref: SW7151714671  Landranger Map Number: 203
Latitude: 49.988339N  Longitude: 5.188877W
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.
5 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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lucasn visited on 29th Sep 2018 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 5

ocifant cazzyjane have visited here

St Ruan's Well (Cadgwith)
St Ruan's Well (Cadgwith) submitted by ocifant : This well has been spoilt by having a copious supply of tealights and matches inside. Where these have been used, the walls are blackened. Unfortunate because it could be a lovely place otherwise... (Vote or comment on this photo)
Holy Well / Spring in Cornwall

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St Ruan's Well (Cadgwith)
St Ruan's Well (Cadgwith) submitted by cazzyjane : St Ruan's Well, Oil on canvas (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Ruan's Well (Cadgwith)
St Ruan's Well (Cadgwith) submitted by AngieLake : Looking in the other direction towards the stile at the bottom of the field, which was the way I had come. (Hoping the cows would stick to their [other] end of the field!) (2 comments - Vote or comment on this photo)

St Ruan's Well (Cadgwith)
St Ruan's Well (Cadgwith) submitted by AngieLake : The current contents of the niche on 7th July 2011. (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Ruan's Well (Cadgwith)
St Ruan's Well (Cadgwith) submitted by cazzyjane : The interior of the well showing that it is still regularly visited. (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Ruan's Well (Cadgwith)
St Ruan's Well (Cadgwith) submitted by cazzyjane : St Ruans well. Easy to get to, being near the side of the road. It has been sympathetically restored in recent years and now has a protective fence around it. (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Ruan's Well (Cadgwith)
St Ruan's Well (Cadgwith) submitted by cazzyjane : St Ruans well. Now the most southernly holy well. It is made from local serpentine with a granite archway.

St Ruan's Well (Cadgwith)
St Ruan's Well (Cadgwith) submitted by KiwiBetsy : The interior of the well showing niche and shelves. St Ruan (aka Rumon or Ronan) was at one stage of his life accused by his wife of being a werewolf who ravaged local sheep every fortnight and had killed their baby girl. Ruan was arrested, but was tested by the monarch who exposed the prisoner to his hunting dogs which would have immediately reacted to any sign of wolf. Ruan remained unharmed ...

St Ruan's Well (Cadgwith)
St Ruan's Well (Cadgwith) submitted by coin : St Ruan's Well internal elevations including floorplan.

St Ruan's Well (Cadgwith)
St Ruan's Well (Cadgwith) submitted by coin : St Ruan's Well external elevation drawings. Note the socket at the southern southwest end of the roof ridge, which presumably once held a cross.

St Ruan's Well (Cadgwith)
St Ruan's Well (Cadgwith) submitted by Bladup : St Ruan's Well (Cadgwith), I lost the original photo's and could only recover the thumbnail images, I thought i'd make a collage with those

St Ruan's Well (Cadgwith)
St Ruan's Well (Cadgwith) submitted by AngieLake : It's a sturdy little well house and has been well preserved.

St Ruan's Well (Cadgwith)
St Ruan's Well (Cadgwith) submitted by AngieLake : Old tea-lights still float in the well and next to it was a tray of biros.

St Ruan's Well (Cadgwith)
St Ruan's Well (Cadgwith) submitted by AngieLake : Another way to access the well is via the gap in the hedge and the old wall-stile here, on the north side of the long straight road to Cadgwith that leads NE from the T-junction at Chyheira Farm. People did walk past while I was visiting. I wonder how many people actually notice it, though, as I didn't see a signpost for it.

St Ruan's Well (Cadgwith)
St Ruan's Well (Cadgwith) submitted by AngieLake : The Public Footpath marker points to the well at the top of the field, tucked under the hedge (to right of post on right). This approach is via a no-through road leading to Bruggan Farm, a left turn off the Cadgwith road when driving from the west. There's a layby opposite the stile. An OS map is helpful, as it shows all the public footpaths in the area. (3 comments)

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 1.2km NE 54° Carleon Stone Circle* Stone Circle (SW72551535)
 1.4km NNE 14° Treal Barrows* Barrow Cemetery (SW71921605)
 1.8km WNW 302° Moyle's Burrow* Round Barrow(s) (SW70051569)
 2.0km S 189° Landewednack Cross* Ancient Cross (SW71111268)
 2.2km SSW 199° The Lizard Cornish Cross* Ancient Cross (SW707126)
 2.5km NW 309° St Helena Barrow Round Barrow(s) (SW69661632)
 2.6km W 268° Kynance Downs Round Barrow(s) (SW68951468)
 2.6km NW 310° Hyrven* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SW696164)
 2.9km WSW 252° Carngoon Bank* Ancient Village or Settlement (SW687139)
 3.1km NW 319° Hayle Kimbro Pool Barrow* Round Barrow(s) (SW69591711)
 3.3km NW 321° Ponson Joppa Barrow Round Barrow(s) (SW69531736)
 3.4km WSW 248° Kynance Cove Hut Circle* Ancient Village or Settlement (SW68261351)
 3.6km NNE 26° Goonhilly Downs Barrows* Barrow Cemetery (SW73261786)
 3.7km NW 321° North Predannack Downs Barrow* Round Barrow(s) (SW69281767)
 4.0km NE 55° Poldowrian Round House* Ancient Village or Settlement (SW749168)
 4.0km NNW 329° Penhale Barrow 2* Round Barrow(s) (SW69601821)
 4.1km NW 324° Penhale Barrow 1* Round Barrow(s) (SW69231806)
 4.1km NNW 327° Penhale Barrow 3* Round Barrow(s) (SW69421822)
 4.2km NNW 329° Penhale Enclosure Misc. Earthwork (SW69511833)
 4.3km WSW 252° The Rill Cairn* Cairn (SW674135)
 4.4km ENE 63° Carrick Luz* Promontory Fort / Cliff Castle (SW755165)
 4.4km W 269° Vellon Head* Ancient Village or Settlement (SW67081478)
 4.8km N 355° Goonhilly Downs Kerb Cairn* Barrow Cemetery (SW71331951)
 4.9km N 350° Carn Maer Tumuli* Barrow Cemetery (SW70861954)
 4.9km NNE 12° Croft Pascoe Forrest Barrows* Barrow Cemetery (SW7273819434)
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Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall and Scilly, Craig Weatherhill

Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall and Scilly, Craig Weatherhill

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"St Ruan's Well (Cadgwith)" | Login/Create an Account | 11 News and Comments
  
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Re: St Ruan's Well (Cadgwith) by coin on Wednesday, 16 December 2020
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3D model of the well can be seen here.
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Re: St Ruan's Well (Cadgwith) by jamkarlou on Saturday, 05 September 2020
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Visited this summer (Aug 2020). As others have mentioned it is still regularly visited as evidence inside the well shows. I arrived from the field side walking from Poltesco, before rejoining the road back to Cadgwith.
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Re: St Ruan's Well by Anonymous on Tuesday, 11 August 2020
On our recent visit Aug 10th 2020 ( one of many to this beautiful well throughout the last 50 years) we were concerned that a large boulder was displaced from the boundary wall ,was this natural movement or was there a deliberate action to move it ,a massive stone and I think integral to the structure of the wall.

Hopefully it will be reinstated

May we also acknowledge the amazing care given to this sacred well and give genuine thanks to all those involved

Jan and Rob Francis
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St Ruan Holy Well by lucasn on Friday, 23 November 2018
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Re: St Ruan's Well (Cadgwith) by Anonymous on Tuesday, 17 March 2015
I have an early glass slide of this well if you want a scan for your site
Malc McCarthy
taclowcoth@aol.com
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Re: St Ruan's Well by davidmorgan on Tuesday, 15 February 2011
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Street View -
View Larger Map
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Re: St Ruan's Well by Anonymous on Monday, 30 June 2008
My wife and I visited St. Ruan's Well while on holiday last month we thought it was absolutely delightful and typical Cornish. Whoever supplies the candles I would like to commend it is a brilliant thought, I have read with interest of the recent re-furbishment of the Well and was pleased to see that the work had been rewarded with 2 silver Awards, richly deserved. I hope thie email is passed onto the person or persons who maintain the Well and thank them for their which much appreciated work. It should be given a special article in the West Briton for other people to enjoy.

John Reeves ( a lover of Cornwall), Wednesbury, West Midlands
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    Re: St Ruan's Well by Anonymous on Tuesday, 24 March 2009
    Dear John,
    it's good to read your comments. My wife carried out archaeological recording work at the well in advance of conservation and will be pleased to hear that it has been visited and enjoyed! You will also be pleased to hear that it is one of the sites 'adopted' by the Lizard Ancient Sites Network (LAN) for monitoring, to ensure the well doesn't fall into disrepair again.
    You (or anyone reading this) may be interested in volunteer site clear-up work, or site monitoring if your visits are frequent. Contact Cheryl Straffon at info@cornishancientsites.com
    for more information. There should be a dedicated LAN page on this website http://www.cornishancientsites.com/index.htm soon.
    all the best,
    James Gossip
    Archaeologist
    Historic Environment Service
    Cornwall County Council
    [ Reply to This ]
    Re: St Ruan's Well by Anonymous on Monday, 07 December 2009
    John, You say that you are a lover of Cornwall, did you ever live there? Was your father's name Peter?

    Chris Markwick
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Re: St Ruan's Well by templar on Friday, 27 August 2004
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Visited this site whilst doing a walk in the area. Sadly my camera had packed up by this stage, so no photos.
The well is at the top of a field and is easily accessed from the road and is just off a path that crosses the road.
The well is in a litle stone hut/alcove and is in great condition. The water looks deep and fresh and has some healthy looking weeds growing in it. Someone had left a small bunch of flowers on the back wall of the alcove. It a shame you can hear cars going by on the lane at times, but it's still a nice little spot.
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