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<< Our Photo Pages >> St Morwenna's Well - Holy Well or Sacred Spring in England in Cornwall

Submitted by Rory on Monday, 29 March 2004  Page Views: 15406

Springs and Holy WellsSite Name: St Morwenna's Well
Country: England
NOTE: This site is 18.4 km away from the location you searched for.
County: Cornwall Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring
Nearest Town: Bude  Nearest Village: Morwenstow
Map Ref: SS1980215483  Landranger Map Number: 190
Latitude: 50.910614N  Longitude: 4.564584W
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
 3 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.
 3 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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St Morwenna's Well
St Morwenna's Well submitted by Rory : Standing on the nearest headland you can see where the water now escapes into the sea below the site of the old Holy Well. Although a long time dry I actually think the structure is in very good nick. This final iteration of a construction to house the holy waters was undertaken by the unique and enigmatic Parson Hawker, Vicar (and mystic) of Morwennstow Parish. (Vote or comment on this photo)
Holy Well / Spring in Cornwall

Rory writes: "To get to the well you park by Morwenstow parish church and then take the direct route to the coast at Vicarage Cliff. Crossing two fields you eventually meet the coastal path. At this point you turn north. After a few yards you might be able to discern the faintest line of a path leading down the very steep slope that falls away toward a sheer cliff. After a turn or two along this trail, with nothing substantial to grasp, the sight of a lush-green patch of ground below indicates the direction you have to scramble towards. I do feel compelled to say that unless the National Trust (which owns the site) have recently improved access, my assessment would be that’s it’s really not safe to climb down to the well unless you’re properly equipped for the task."
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St Morwenna's Well
St Morwenna's Well submitted by JimChampion : April 2024. Distant view of the path down Vicarage Cliff to the old wellhouse of St Morwenna’s Well. The coast path is along the top of the cliff and passes through the gateway visible top right. The path down to the wellhouse is the ‘scar’ down the centre of the photograph, through the blackthorn bushes and bracken. This photograph was taken alongside the coast path as it climbs steeply to ... (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Morwenna's Well
St Morwenna's Well submitted by JimChampion : April 2004. St Morwenna’s Well near Morwenstow. Detail of the large triangular stone above the lintel on the wellhouse. There is some text inscribed in the stone but it is not legible (to me) in the photo and wasn’t much clearer in real life. The wellhouse is some way down a very steep cliff and faces west(ish) across the ocean. The stories have it that Morwenna liked this spot as she could (o... (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Morwenna's Well
St Morwenna's Well submitted by JimChampion : April 2024. The interior of the stone structure at St Morwenna’s Well on Vicarage Cliff. Now dry, and has been for some time (apparently). This structure has Grade II listing. (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Morwenna's Well
St Morwenna's Well submitted by JimChampion : April 2024. The wellhouse of St Morwenna’s Well on the cliff face west of Morwenstow church. This structure was built at the behest of Parson Hawker of Morwenstow in the 1840s. It is now a Grade II listed building and not very accessible. The well itself is dry and has been so for some time. Apparently the spring now emerges further down the cliff… the OS map marks St Morwenna’s Well at grid... (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Morwenna's Well
St Morwenna's Well submitted by JimChampion : April 2024. Looking back up the ‘path’ to the cliff top from the wellhouse. The crest of Vicarage Cliff is at the top. The slope is covered mainly with blackthorn. Someone has maintained the path, the blackthorn has been clipped and the clippings lie about. The path is perilously steep and spiky (but passable). (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Morwenna's Well
St Morwenna's Well submitted by JimChampion : April 2024. View south-west from St Morwenna’s Well on the cliffside above Cotton Beach. Higher Sharpnose Point is just visible on the left. If this is where Morwenna liked to spend time, she liked it exposed to the elements.

St Morwenna's Well
St Morwenna's Well submitted by Pawl.Seimon : Vista from Saint Morwenna's Well Celtic Sea Image copyright: Hockers19, hosted on Flickr and displayed under the terms of their API.

St Morwenna's Well
St Morwenna's Well submitted by KiwiBetsy : Window in St Morwenna & St John the Baptist's Church at Morwenstow, showing St Morwenna's Well.

St Morwenna's Well
St Morwenna's Well submitted by KiwiBetsy : Interior of St Morwenna's Well.

St Morwenna's Well
St Morwenna's Well submitted by KiwiBetsy : Access to this well is very difficult and as stated above, rather dangerous. We were told (in April 2006) that the National Trust were not now planning to improve access. The path (such as it was) was very overgrown with blackthorn and gorse resulting in severe scratches and damage to clothing.

St Morwenna's Well
St Morwenna's Well submitted by Rory : This is the view south from the narrow ledge where Saint Morwenna’s Well House sits. It certainly scores less than 1 for access. (2 comments)

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 775m ESE 104° Morwenstow Churchyard Cross* Ancient Cross (SS20551527)
 863m E 100° St John's Well (Morwenstow)* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SS2064815298)
 4.1km NE 45° St Nectan's Well (Welcombe)* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SS228183)
 5.6km ESE 101° Wrasford Moor Barrow Cemetary* Barrow Cemetery (SS2529114170)
 6.5km ENE 78° Woolley Long Barrow* Long Barrow (SS2627516605)
 7.4km S 174° Northcott Mouth Tumuli* Barrow Cemetery (SS203081)
 7.5km ESE 111° Taylors Cross Tumuli* Round Barrow(s) (SS2669012535)
 7.9km NE 51° Bursdon Moor Barrow Cemetery* Round Barrow(s) (SS2611220257)
 8.1km SSE 161° Earthquake Cist* Cist (SS22250773)
 8.9km SSE 159° Stamford Hill settlement* Ancient Village or Settlement (SS22750705)
 9.1km S 177° Compass Point Barrow* Round Barrow(s) (SS20040635)
 9.3km NE 38° St Clare's Well* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SS2582422541)
 9.6km ENE 64° Gorvin West Barrows* Round Barrow(s) (SS2859519471)
 9.8km NNE 29° St Leonard's Well (Hartland)* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SS2486423870)
 9.9km NNE 20° Stoke Churchyard Cross* Ancient Cross (SS235247)
 10.0km NNE 21° St Nectan's Well (Stoke)* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SS2363624683)
 10.8km SSE 153° St Swithin's Well (Launcells)* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SS244057)
 10.8km S 170° Neet Valley stone, Bude Standing Stone (Menhir) (SS21320474)
 11.6km S 177° Higher Longbeak Barrow* Round Barrow(s) (SS19950389)
 12.0km SSE 166° Marhamchurch Medieval cross* Ancient Cross (SS22300369)
 12.2km S 178° Widemouth Bay tumulus* Round Barrow(s) (SS19870323)
 12.3km S 172° Whalesborough Barrows* Round Barrow(s) (SS21020323)
 12.8km E 95° St Peter's Well (Bradworthy)* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SS325139)
 13.8km NE 53° Clovelly Dykes* Hillfort (SS311235)
 14.7km ESE 121° Ugworthy Beacon Barrows* Round Barrow(s) (SS3217607440)
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"St Morwenna's Well" | Login/Create an Account | 6 News and Comments
  
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Re: St Morwenna's Well by JimChampion on Tuesday, 09 April 2024
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The Historic England site listing gives the OS grid reference for the well as SS1994015332. historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1231518?section=official-list-entry Interestingly it also describes the wellhouse as being “ABOUT 14 METRES DOWN THE CLIFF”… not sure where they were measuring from, but it felt a lot further than 14 metres descent when visiting in person.
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Re: St Morwenna's Well by JimChampion on Wednesday, 03 April 2024
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The well house is still there, visited today. Someone has recently clipped the thorns on the (nearly vertical) "path" down the cliff which made it possible to get there. Note there's not much to hold on to! The route is far from safe, but I think you're much more likely to get seriously punctured/scratched by thorns than plunge to your doom.
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    Re: St Morwenna's Well by JimChampion on Wednesday, 03 April 2024
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    It was possible to see the path (but not the wellhouse itself) from a distance. This gave me confidence that the path still existed and gave an indication of where it started on the clifftop. I was looking southeastwards from the coast path on the steep climb up to Vicarage Cliff. It wasn't visible from Higher Sharpnose Point.
    [ Reply to This ]

Re: St Morwenna's Well by Rory on Tuesday, 16 May 2006
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To get to the well you park by Morwenstow parish church and then take the direct route to the coast at Vicarage Cliff. Crossing two fields you eventually meet the coastal path. At this point you turn north. After a few yards you might be able to discern the faintest line of a path leading down the very steep slope that falls away toward a sheer cliff. After a turn or two along this trail, with nothing substantial to grasp, the sight of a lush-green patch of ground below indicates the direction you have to scramble towards. I do feel compelled to say that unless the National Trust (which owns the site) have recently improved access, my assessment would be that’s it’s really not safe to climb down to the well unless you’re properly equipped for the task.

Saint Morwenna seems to be most famous for being the most homesick of the Cornish Saints. It was here her brother Nectan granted her final wish by lifting her up in order that she might catch a glimpse of her Welsh homeland as she drew her last breath. Even if you can’t see that far on your visit you do have before you Cornwall’s magnificent coast at its rugged best.

I would say my ambience rating would have to be on the low side, not because the setting isn’t spectacular (which it is) but because, the nereids do seem to have now departed. As has happened at Saint Cyor’s in Luxulyan preservation of this site would, in fact, serve more than anything else as a memorial to a well that once existed at this spot. Having said that, if there were a grade for poignancy St. Morwenna’s would certainly score highly by me. I find the fact that the spring withdrew quite naturally especially meaningful. The grim truth is that it is inevitable that some things will become lost to us no matter how valued they are. No matter how much I would have loved to have sampled the water in that unique setting, that experience can only be conjured up through recounted stories. Maybe a sense of loss is what this site’s about.
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Re: St Morwenna's Well by Anonymous on Saturday, 11 December 2004
I have twice uncovered this well - and it keeps getting overgrown by thorns. Would like to know who the anonymous person was. Glad to guide anyone to the well by arrangement.

Regards

Alan Rowland
[ Reply to This ]

Re: St Morwenna's Well by Anonymous on Friday, 03 December 2004
Just to say my father often saw this well, as he lived nearby. He took me to see it once, but the thorns surrounding it were so vicious I never got there!. I believe it no longer has water in it. A crack in the cliffs below diverted the water. and it is much in need of restoration now.

I am named 'Morwenna' in memory of Morwenstow.
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