<< Our Photo Pages >> St Eilian's Well - Holy Well or Sacred Spring in Wales in Anglesey

Submitted by pab on Thursday, 10 May 2007  Page Views: 13904

Springs and Holy WellsSite Name: St Eilian's Well Alternative Name: Fynnon Eilian
Country: Wales County: Anglesey Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring
Nearest Town: Amlwch  Nearest Village: Llaneilian
Map Ref: SH46569329
Latitude: 53.414039N  Longitude: 4.310106W
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
 2 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.
 4 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

Internal Links:
External Links:

I have visited· I would like to visit

cactus_chris visited on 17th Jun 2019 - their rating: Cond: 5 Amb: 5 Access: 2 Only accessible from the Anglesey Coastal Path.

PAB have visited here

St Eilian's Well
St Eilian's Well submitted by pab : Site in Anglesey (Sir Ynys Mon) Looking across cleft from West, with votive candles above the spring outlet. Unlike many Sacred Wells and Springs in the area, there are no signs or plaques at this site, but it is certainly worth seeking out. (Vote or comment on this photo)
Holy Well or Sacred Spring in Anglesey (Sir Ynys Mon)

St Eilian's Well is a Sacred Spring on the north coast of Anglesey. It is said to have been a significant place of pilgrimage, St Eilian having been sent from Rome as an emmissary in the 5th Century.

When reaching the site, don't be distracted by the main stream - the Spring (Fynnon in Welsh) is a small trickle coming from a cleft in the rock to the left of the stream. The foundations of a chapel originally built around the Spring are clearly visible when you get up to the rock - but not from the beach level.

The site is easily reached along the Anglesey Coastal Path - park at the Amlwch Heritage Centre and walk (east) for about 20 minutes till the path descends to beach level. The Spring's magnet will take you from there - it is a wonderful place!
You may be viewing yesterday's version of this page. To see the most up to date information please register for a free account.


St Eilian's Well
St Eilian's Well submitted by pab : The location of St Eilian's Well/Spring, looking up from the beach. The Spring flows from a cleft in the large rock face on the left of the picture, so ignore the main stream! (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Eilian's Well
St Eilian's Well submitted by cactus_chris : 20190617--St Eilian's Well, Amlwch, Anglesey (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Eilian's Well
St Eilian's Well submitted by hoya105 : From the coast path... (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Eilian's Well
St Eilian's Well submitted by hoya105 : A close up of the water emerging from the rock (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Eilian's Well
St Eilian's Well submitted by Antonine : 2021 (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Eilian's Well
St Eilian's Well submitted by rogerkread : A closer view of the site showing the remains of the building beside the spring. There is now (April 2015) a small plaque stating this to be St Eilian's Well, as well as the useful bench.

St Eilian's Well
St Eilian's Well submitted by rogerkread : A different view of the location of the spring.

St Eilian's Well
St Eilian's Well submitted by rogerkread : Location of Fynnon Eilian beside stream, close to cliffs.

St Eilian's Well
St Eilian's Well submitted by pab : Site in Anglesey (Sir Ynys Mon) View over the chapel foundations towards the bay. The Coastal Path crosses half way between the Spring and the sea - so many people must pass by without knowing what is hidden above them.

St Eilian's Well
St Eilian's Well submitted by pab : Site in Anglesey (Sir Ynys Mon) The foundations of the Medieval chapel built around the Spring. Income from pilgrims is said to have funded the nearby church, naturally called Llaneilian! It has a very similar feel to St Govan's Chapel in Pembrokeshire, but it is much more accessible.

Do not use the above information on other web sites or publications without permission of the contributor.
Click here to see more info for this site

Nearby sites

Click here to view sites on an interactive OS map

Key: Red: member's photo, Blue: 3rd party photo, Yellow: other image, Green: no photo - please go there and take one, Grey: site destroyed

Download sites to:
KML (Google Earth)
GPX (GPS waypoints)
CSV (Garmin/Navman)
CSV (Excel)

To unlock full downloads you need to sign up as a Contributory Member. Otherwise downloads are limited to 50 sites.


Turn off the page maps and other distractions

Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 169m NW 313° Porth Newydd* Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature (SH46449341)
 558m SE 135° St Eilian (Llaneilian)* Ancient Cross (SH46949288)
 3.5km SW 215° Parys Mountain* Ancient Mine, Quarry or other Industry (SH445905)
 5.0km W 263° Werthyr* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SH4152292868)
 5.5km SSE 158° Ogof Arian Cave or Rock Shelter (SH485881)
 6.7km WSW 241° Bodewryd* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SH406902)
 7.7km WNW 282° Dinas Gynfor* Hillfort (SH391951)
 7.8km SSE 160° Coed Newydd Burnt Mounds Misc. Earthwork (SH4904885932)
 7.8km SSE 154° Din Lligwy* Ancient Village or Settlement (SH4970286134)
 7.9km SSE 161° Rhos Lligwy Burnt Mound Misc. Earthwork (SH4888185780)
 7.9km S 170° Ponc y Garreg Hir* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SH47668549)
 7.9km SSE 153° Parc Salmon Roundhouse Ancient Village or Settlement (SH4999086149)
 8.0km WSW 240° Maen y Goges* Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature (SH39518948)
 8.1km SSE 152° Lligwy Burial Chamber* Chambered Tomb (SH50138604)
 8.1km SSE 158° Bwlch-Y-Dafarn Ancient Village or Settlement (SH4929285663)
 8.2km SSW 203° Bryn Dyfrydog* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SH431859)
 8.2km SSW 202° Maen Chwyf* Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature (SH43268574)
 8.4km SSE 161° Bwlch-Y-Dafarn Settlement Enclosure Ancient Village or Settlement (SH4910585235)
 8.5km SSE 163° Tyddyn Isaf Burnt Mound Misc. Earthwork (SH4873185067)
 8.5km SSE 162° Bwlch-Y-Dafarn Enclosed Settlement Ancient Village or Settlement (SH4900085103)
 8.6km SSE 154° Llanallgo Roundhouse Ancient Village or Settlement (SH5008185471)
 9.0km W 276° Ichthus Stone* Early Christian Sculptured Stone (SH376946)
 9.1km SSE 160° Parciau Hillfort Hillfort (SH4945384676)
 9.1km SSE 157° Ffynnon Allgo Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SH4989684774)
 9.2km S 190° Carreg Leidr* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SH446843)
View more nearby sites and additional images

<< The King's Standing

Clachmhor, Culnakirk >>

Please add your thoughts on this site

Contribute!

· NEW: I have visited
· I would like to visit
· Submit an Image
· Add a description
· Give accurate position
· Add a comment or news about this site

The Old Straight Track, Alfred Watkins

The Old Straight Track, Alfred Watkins

Sponsors

Auto-Translation (Google)

Translate from English into:

"St Eilian's Well" | Login/Create an Account | 6 News and Comments
  
Go back to top of page    Comments are owned by the poster. We aren't responsible for their content.
Re: St Eilian's Well by coldrum on Saturday, 09 January 2010
(User Info | Send a Message)
It might be that St Eilian's Well and the Witching Well are one and the same as a Wax effigy on a piece of slate was found in the well in 1925.
Picture here:

http://www.gtj.org.uk/en/large/item/GTJ16688/

http://www.gtj.org.uk/en/small/item/GTJ16688/

The item is in the Gwynedd Museum and Art Gallery, Bangor.

http://www.gwynedd.gov.uk/gwy_doc.asp?cat=3657&doc=13261&Language=1


Photos of the well and stream leading to it:

http://www.pensansphotography.co.uk/photo_764872.html

http://www.walesdirectory.co.uk/images-attractions/Llanelian_Church_Ffynnon_Eilian.jpg

Article on cursing wells:

http://people.bath.ac.uk/liskmj/living-spring/sourcearchive/ns4/ns4jcb1.htm

[ Reply to This ]

Re: St Eilian's Well by coldrum on Saturday, 09 January 2010
(User Info | Send a Message)
The following is the RCAHMW Coflein entry for St Eilian's Church:

"The medieval parish church of St Eilian's, Llaneilian,was originally a celtic 'clas' church. It consists of a late fifteenth century nave and chancel, an early sixteenth century south porch, a twelfth century west tower and a formerly detached late fourteenth century chapel - St Eilian's chapel (NPRN 43586).

The church famously retains many of its late medieval fittings and post-medieval restorations have been limited or restrained.
There are remains of a churchyard cross (NPRN 302479). The tower is a three stage roughcast structure rising to a high pyramidal roof or low spire. The stages are marked by offsets and the lower stage was formerly slate hung. It retains some Romanesque detail although the head of the eastern archway into the nave was renewed in the thirteenth-fourteenth century.

The nave and chancel are dated by consecration crosses of 1480 and 1481 on the nave butresses. This part of the church has a splendour which exceeds its size. Tudur Aled the poet attributed this to the rector Nicholas ab Ellis, archdeacon of Anglesey in 1474. The nave is a two bay structure with butresses between the bays and at the angles. The western bay has offset north and south doorways and the eastern bay is lit by three light windows. The chancel has corner butresses, a two light north window and a three light east window. Both nave and chancel have battlemented parapets with pinacles rising above the butresses.

The chancel arch is filled by a rare survival of a fifteenth century screen, above which the rood loft curves out into the nave. This is reached by a spiral stair springing from the south-west angle of the nave and rising to a low turret. The chancel retains its graven choir stalls. The roofs feature angels and other figures. There are traces of post medieval wall paintings. The famous painting of a skeleton, the 'image of death', is accompanied by the inscription 'Colyn Angau yw Pechod' or 'The sting of death is sin'."

Map reference:SH4697992897

http://www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/32283/details/ST+EILIAN%27S+CHURCH%2C+LLANEILIAN/


St Eilian's Chapel from the RCAHMW Coflein site:

"A late fourteenth-early fifteenth century chapel joined to the late fifteenth century chancel of the parish church (NPRN 32283) by a passage building dated to 1614.
The chapel has an original two light east window and an original west doorway. The bellcote over the west gable may have been an original feature. The roof and parapets were replaced in the late fifteenth-early sixteenth century when the north doorway was inserted. The south window is seventeenth century.
The chapel is set askew to the church, being oriented to the south-east. It was probably built as a shrine to the cult of the founder saint and may have been adopted as a private funerary chapel following the reformation."

Map reference:SH4699092891

http://www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/43586/details/ST+EILIAN%27S+CHAPEL+AT+ST+EILIAN%27S+CHURCH%2C+LLANEILIAN/

Neither mentions a well. Maybe someone should inform the RCAHMW about this so they can check it out. Contact for RCAHMW is http://www.rcahmw.gov.uk/HI/ENG/About+Us/Contact+Us/

[ Reply to This ]

Re: St Eilian's Well by coldrum on Saturday, 09 January 2010
(User Info | Send a Message)
The following information is from the Coflein website:

"Water issues from a fissure in a north-facing crag in the cliffs close to the point where a nameless stream tumbles into the sea. This was the well of Eilian, saint of the nearby church and was said to have been visited on the saint's day.
There are traces of a rectangular building at the foot of the crag, some 6.0m east-west by 4.0m. This may have been a well chapel."

Map reference: SH4657093296

http://www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/302480/details/FFYNNON+EILIAN/
[ Reply to This ]

Re: St Eilian's Well by Anonymous on Thursday, 14 February 2008
After being brought up nearby at Penybryn, and visiting PORTH NEWYDD nearly every day for over 25 years as a youngster I can promise you that the location of EILIAN's WELL is not there. It's much further along towards Llaneilian Beach.

Sorry.

[ Reply to This ]
    Re: St Eilian's Well by PAB on Thursday, 14 February 2008
    (User Info | Send a Message)
    Thanks Anon...any pictures to show where it is please if this is the wrong location?
    [ Reply to This ]

Re: St Eilian's Well by Anonymous on Thursday, 26 July 2007
The picture shown is the witching well, people used to throw corks in to the well to curse people. Its also called the witching well as the rockface of the well looks like a witches face. Eilian well is by Eilian church not far from llaneilian.
[ Reply to This ]

Your Name: Anonymous [ Register Now ]
Subject:


Add your comment or contribution to this page. Spam or offensive posts are deleted immediately, don't even bother

<<< What is five plus one as a number? (Please type the answer to this question in the little box on the left)
You can also embed videos and other things. For Youtube please copy and paste the 'embed code'.
For Google Street View please include Street View in the text.
Create a web link like this: <a href="https://www.megalithic.co.uk">This is a link</a>  

Allowed HTML is:
<p> <b> <i> <a> <img> <em> <br> <strong> <blockquote> <tt> <li> <ol> <ul> <object> <param> <embed> <iframe>
We would like to know more about this location. Please feel free to add a brief description and any relevant information in your own language.
Wir möchten mehr über diese Stätte erfahren. Bitte zögern Sie nicht, eine kurze Beschreibung und relevante Informationen in Deutsch hinzuzufügen.
Nous aimerions en savoir encore un peu sur les lieux. S'il vous plaît n'hesitez pas à ajouter une courte description et tous les renseignements pertinents dans votre propre langue.
Quisieramos informarnos un poco más de las lugares. No dude en añadir una breve descripción y otros datos relevantes en su propio idioma.