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<< Our Photo Pages >> St Hilda's Well - Holy Well or Sacred Spring in England in Yorkshire (North)

Submitted by vicky on Thursday, 29 July 2004  Page Views: 11763

Springs and Holy WellsSite Name: St Hilda's Well
Country: England County: Yorkshire (North) Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring
Nearest Town: Whitby  Nearest Village: Hinderwell
Map Ref: NZ7911717050  Landranger Map Number: 94
Latitude: 54.542539N  Longitude: 0.778582W
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.
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
5

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Anne T visited on 4th Mar 2020 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 4 St Hilda's Well, Hinderwell: We parked just past the church in a small layby next to the A174 Hinderwell Lane, at NZ 79018 17137, as the road running past the church was very narrow. Having driven past the church to find somewhere to park, we came across a gated access with a plaque saying ‘St Hilda’s Well’, so parked and walked back to it. The gate led onto a grassy path which led towards the well at the northern side of the church. As we walked up the path, we disturbed a very large parliament of rooks who had settled in the trees nearby; Andrew commented it was like walking into Hitchcock's 'The Birds', especially with the church dark and looming above us, with dark grey skies beyond. Reaching the well, the well basin had clear water in it, although the large pool in front was dry and full of leaves. However, there was a steady stream of water which flowed downhill from the church, having presumably been piped away underground a short distance. There appeared to be the top of an Anglo Saxon window head piled on top of stones at one side of the well; at the other, there was part of a very small stone coffin. Inside the church there was also a leaflet about the church and the well. This is what is says about the well: “We learn from Bede that S Hilda was born in 614. She was the second daughter of Hereric, great nephew of King Edwin of Northumbria. Her elder sister, Hereswith, married the King of East Anglia. Hilda was baptised in 627, along with King Edwin and some of his nobles and courtiers. In 647, Hilda decides to live as a nun in Northumbria. Aidan appointed Hilda second Abbess of Hartlepool. In 657 Hilda became the founding abbess of a new monastery at Whitby (then known as Streonshalh). According to legend, St Hilda was asked to intercede in a drought whilst travelling throughout the parish. Her prayers were answered and the spring which appeared has continued to bubble from the hillside in the grounds of St Hilda’s Church, Hinderwell to this day. The waters were said to have healing properties particularly for eye diseases, and the Well became a place of pilgrimage during the Middle Ages. The Well is the only Scheduled Ancient Monument in the parish and was renovated in the early 1900s by the Palmer family. St Hilda is also said to be responsible for the ammonites or fossilised mollusca shells often found along this coastal stretch, as they resembled curled-up headless snakes. Again according to legend, she had prayed for all the snakes of the neighbourhood to lose their heads and turn to stone. For this reason ammonites are known locally as St Hilda’s Snakes. 19th November is St Hilda’s Day. Hilda suffered from fever for the last six years of her life, but she continued to work until her death in 680, aged sixty-six. In her last year, she set up another monastery, fourteen miles from Whitby, at Hackness, where there is also a St. Hilda Spring. The church now standing in the village of Hinderwell (see below), is dedicated to St Hilda, but the Holy Well in the churchyard has much earlier origins and almost certainly gave its name to the village. A service to celebrate the Well is held on the first Sunday of July."

St Hilda's Well
St Hilda's Well submitted by kelpie : NZ 7911 1706 This well which lies in the churchyard at Hinderwell is said to have curative properties for the eyes. Restored in 1912. (Vote or comment on this photo)
Holy Well / Spring in North Yorkshire

This well which lies in the churchyard at Hinderwell is said to have curative properties for the eyes. Restored in 1912. The churchyard also has a wonderful yew tree growing in it.

The well is recorded as Pastscape Monument No. 29011 and scheduled as Historic England List ID 1019161. HE tells us: "The well head cover was restored in 1912 by Hilda Palmer, although parts of it predate this restoration … . The well is named after St Hilda who founded the monastery at Whitby in 657. The name of the well is the root of the name of the village of Hinderwell in which it is situated. This comes from the old English Hildewella meaning Hild's well."

A leaflet within the church adds: "According to legend, St Hilda was asked to intercede in a drought whilst travelling throughout the parish. Her prayers were answered and the spring which appeared has continued to bubble from the hillside in the grounds of St Hilda’s Church, Hinderwell to this day. The waters were said to have healing properties particularly for eye diseases, and the Well became a place of pilgrimage during the Middle Ages. The Well is the only Scheduled Ancient Monument in the parish and was renovated in the early 1900s by the Palmer family."
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St Hilda's Well
St Hilda's Well submitted by Antonine : Photo taken in 2011 (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Hilda's Well
St Hilda's Well submitted by Antonine : The stone steps leading down to the well, 2011 (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Hilda's Well
St Hilda's Well submitted by Antonine : It became custom on Ascension Day to visit the well. Visitors would bring liquorice to sweeten the water which they drank. Photo: Inscription at the back of the well housing, 2011 (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Hilda's Well
St Hilda's Well submitted by Antonine : The village is named after the holy well. According to legend, a thirsty Hilda stopped here to pray on her way to Guisborough when she was Abbess of Whitby. A spring arose on the spot where she prayed. The water was found to possess healing properties and a church was built here to mark the miracle. The well is in the churchyard, reached by descending some stone steps. Photo: view from side,... (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Hilda's Well
St Hilda's Well submitted by Anne T : The well with St Hilda's Church behind.

St Hilda's Well
St Hilda's Well submitted by Anne T : Standing at the top of the flight of steps, near the church, looking down on top of the well house.

St Hilda's Well
St Hilda's Well submitted by Anne T : The well from its north eastern side, showing the well house (left) and the now dry (well, only vaguely muddy) well pool in front.

St Hilda's Well
St Hilda's Well submitted by Anne T : Standing on the now dry well pool in front of the well, I was surprised to see the well basin full of clear water. There was water visibly trickling up into the well basin, although it must now be piped underground to emerge in the water channel a little way down slope. Due to all the rubbish in the basin, I didn't taste the water.

St Hilda's Well
St Hilda's Well submitted by Anne T : Standing between the church and the well, looking down on the slabs which cover it. They look like old grave slabs, but the scheduling information says that these are machine cut slabs which have been given 'fake tooling marks' on their north and south ends. On the side of the well, almost in the centre of the photograph, is what looks like an Anglo Saxon window-head which has been added to the s...

St Hilda's Well
St Hilda's Well submitted by Anne T : The plaque describing the restoration of the well house, carried out in 1912 by Hilda Palmer.

St Hilda's Well
St Hilda's Well submitted by Anne T : Looking more closely into the well chamber, which was restored in 1912, although HE tells us that some parts of the well structure pre-date this restoration.

St Hilda's Well
St Hilda's Well submitted by Anne T : First sight of the well, approaching it from the gate at NZ 79063 17106, with the Church of St Hilda behind. The well is built partly into a south-facing slope, and a set of steps with handrail leads up to the church.

St Hilda's Well
St Hilda's Well submitted by Anne T : Before reaching the well from the gate/path, we came across a small stream of water, which we initially took to be a field drain, but is actually the outflow from the well. Although there doesn't look to be much water issuing from the well itself, there was a fair flow of water down this channel.

St Hilda's Well
St Hilda's Well submitted by Anne T : Just north/north west of the church, alongside the road, is a gateway leading to the well at approximately NZ 79063 17106. There is a nicely mown grassy path which leads back towards the church and the well.

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Re: St Hilda's Well by Anonymous on Sunday, 09 October 2011
I visited Hinderwll and walked through St Hilda's Church grounds,unfortunately I didnt find the well ,I will return.Found the magnificent Yew tree though.Amazin..
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