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

Submitted by 4clydesdale7 on Thursday, 04 September 2014  Page Views: 19685

Springs and Holy WellsSite Name: St Kenelm's Well
Country: England
NOTE: This site is 5.475 km away from the location you searched for.

County: Worcestershire Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring
 Nearest Village: Romsley
Map Ref: SO9444280755  Landranger Map Number: 139
Latitude: 52.424752N  Longitude: 2.083161W
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.
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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I have visited· I would like to visit

Hodur visited on 6th Oct 2018 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 3 Access: 4

4clydesdale7 visited on 10th May 2014 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 3 Access: 4 The site could be so much more attractive if only someone cared

Ray visited on 19th Apr 2011 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 2 I make occasional visits to this site during walks from my home 3 miles away



Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 3.67 Ambience: 3.33 Access: 3.33

St Kenelm's Well
St Kenelm's Well submitted by 4clydesdale7 : The newer Wellhead (Vote or comment on this photo)
This Well is in the Parish of Romsley part of the District of Bromsgrove Worcestershire. Before the significance of this Ancient Well can be fully appreciated it is necessary to recite briefly the Legend of St Kenelm as told by two medieval Bishops, Florence of Worcester and William of Malmesbury, who tell of the tragic murder of Kenelm at the age of 7 years.

In or about AD 793 (dates from this period are frequently inaccurate) King Kenwulf of Mercia married his wife Aelfthryth by whom he had three children; two sisters Quendryth and Burghild and their younger brother Kenelm - Kenwulf died in or about AD 821 - Quendryth was by then Abbess of Southminster (possibly in either Essex or Kent - both are possible) - Kenelm was reported at the time to be only 7 years old and although he was regarded by the Thanes as his father's nominated heir a 'regent' carried out affairs of state for him -

To gain power Quendryth and Kenelm's cruel foster-father Asceberht plotted the murder of Kenelm - the youngster was taken on a hunting trip in the Clent Hills just SW of what is now Birmingham by Ascebehrt and whilst the youngster prayed beneath a thorn tree he was beheaded - Ascebehrt failed to notice that from Kenelm's severed head flew a white dove which soared into the heavens passing St Peter's Church in Rome where it deposited a piece of parchment on the altar - the parchment was taken before the Pope who having the same translated by local Saxon Bishops learned of the foul deed - he sent a legation to Mercia who found the grave of young Kenelm dug on the very spot upon which he was slain - the grave was attended by a white cow -

As the body was exhumed a Spring spurted forth - Kenelm's body was taken to Winchcombe in North Gloucestershire - just short of that town the pall bearers grew weary and put the coffin down whereupon another Spring came forth and they were refreshed (this website contains an entry for this Gloucestershire St Kenelm's Well) - later as Chantries were being sung in the Church at Winchcombe a woman believed to be Quendryth was heard to be singing the words of the chantries in reverse order whereupon her eyes were gouged out - a good old blood-thirsty Saxon legend indeed!!

It was not until King Edward 1st was on the throne that the site of the murder was formally consecrated (although the original church near Romsley is said to be Norman) - thereafter until the Dissolution of the Monasteries it became so popular that the Medieval Village of Kenelmstowe grew in the fields adjoining the Church -

The Well is said to be in the Undercroft beneath the eastern end of the Church but these days access is barred due to the arched external entrance on the northside being (unsympathetically - see photograph) walled up - the situation is complicated further by another Spring appearing (since the walling-up) just ten metres to the north east where there is now a rather drab replacement Wellhead after the local water table had dropped - this is not helped by the fact that there are at least three other effusive ancient Springs close nearby - a small stream runs away from the new Wellhead down a gully - the area has to a certain extent reverted to pagan status with many trees now being festooned with modern 'votive offerings'

English Heritage Pastscape Monument Number 118697
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St Kenelm's Well
St Kenelm's Well submitted by Humbucker : Another view of The Waltons Hill Cross Dyke. The views up here are fantastic, looking south to The Malvern Hills across Worcestershire & onto Gloucestershire. The fence running parallel to the dyke is to prevent further erosion by walkers & horses. (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Kenelm's Well
St Kenelm's Well submitted by Humbucker : On a bidleway at the top of Waltons Hill a few metres to the south of St Kenelms Well is this Cross Dyke. Local stories claim it to be a ditch where Celts took a stand against the advancing Roman Army, however it is more likely to be the remnant of an ancient trackway, possibly Bronze Age, skirting the edge of a long disappeared livestock enclosure. (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Kenelm's Well
St Kenelm's Well submitted by 4clydesdale7 : The Undercroft at St Kenelms Church lies behind the nearer blocked Archway - therein lies the original Well/Spring (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Kenelm's Well
St Kenelm's Well submitted by 4clydesdale7 : The Gully leading away from the newer Wellhead (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Kenelm's Well
St Kenelm's Well submitted by 4clydesdale7 : One of the several Springs nearby

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 1.2km WSW 248° The Four Stones* Modern Stone Circle etc (SO9337180328)
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 15.4km NNW 341° Lady Godiva's Cross* Ancient Cross (SO89439528)
 16.9km WSW 245° Blackstone Iron Age Settlement Ancient Village or Settlement (SO791735)
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 17.4km SE 130° Beoley Hill Fort Hillfort (SP077695)
 18.0km E 85° Burnt mound in Fox Hollies Park Artificial Mound (SP1247182177)
 18.3km N 350° St Peter (Wolverhampton)* Ancient Cross (SO9141998765)
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Re: St Kenelm's Well by Anonymous on Thursday, 07 June 2018
Visited Arley arboretum yesterday. (Upper Arley). In the grounds, very close to the ancient church is a well and pool. Was this a 'holy well' ? I've not found any information about the well.
[ Reply to This ]
    Re: St Kenelm's Well by Anne T on Thursday, 07 June 2018
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    Hi there. Had a look at the Pastscape information for this intriguing well, and it is indeed referred to as a holy well (click on the link at the bottom of the main text block above, or follow this link to the same page) - Pastscape Monument No. 118697.

    Extracts of this, from 1962 and 1976, read: "Below the E end of St Kenelm's Church, Romsley (SO 94448075) is an undercroft containing the holy spring. A blocked arch in the S wall of the chancel led to the stairway down to it. According to a disproved legend St Kenelm, the boy king of Mercia (he was neither boy nor king), was murdered here in 819. The shrine was much frequented by pilgrims from the time of Edward I to the Dissolution. The present church has 12th century nave and chancel and base of tower in red sandstone, above which the tower was rebuilt in the 15th century of grey stone. St Kenelm's Chapel is probably built on a pre-Conquest base, judging by the plan of its foundations, and was possibly served by one of the two priests mentioned in the Domesday Survey of 1086 … The well's present position, some 10.0m north east of the church, and downhill from it, is due to the lowering of the local water table."

    The church and well are also scheduled as Historic England List ID 1100110.

    Just to throw an additional bit of information into the pot, I also came across this entry: At The Edge: St. Kenelm's Well, which adds the well has been relocated three times, plus they believe our prehistoric ancestors may have also worshipped at the original dark pool. The spring and well certainly seem to have ancient origins. Intriguing indeed!
    [ Reply to This ]

Re: St Kenelm's Well by Anonymous on Monday, 21 May 2018
The history of St Kenelm's well at Romsley is very complex, and takes a good deal of unpicking, then pieced together from numerous sources of info. The 11th C legend (in fact, there are two versions) is almost wholly fictive, interesting mainly for the motifs it assembles, and for what it suggests about 11th C history. It is an early product of Benedictine hagiography, too, and the earliest reference I know to a named saint's well dedication. The stone structure in the top photo is most probably a cattle trough - an engraving shows livestock being grazed in the churchyard, before c. 1850. (A graveyard extension is now above it, and rainfall drains down through the soil. Therapeutic use of this water not recommended.) The pool (third photo down) is most probably a dewpond; it doesn't appear to have an outflow. The path of the spring is tricky. The most reliable info is that it's been culverted with a pipe opening into the stream gully some distance below the church. My guess is that it went into the chapel mid-way down the north side and piped (date?) towards the centre of the sanctuary steps, under the floor. There have been such drastic changes to the interior, it's difficult to be certain of the medieval arrangement, but the position of extant slots for two successive rood beams seems significant. The outflow is problematic, but I believe there was a basin for pilgrims' use behind a screen, against which the altar and a small shrine were placed on the chapel interior side. Access to the basin could be gained through the blocked arch visible on the south exterior. The stream seems to have formed the boundary between the manors of Halesowen and Clent - the chapel was bisected by it - and so the line was important. (The legend's description of the location sounds more like nearby Clatterbatch rather than Cowbatch - that's another story. Productive springline between a breccia and New Red Sandstone on nearby ridges.) The attempt to create a 'wild garden' near the outflow was a nice idea, but when last I saw it, sadly hadn't been properly carried through. I'd wondered if the spring had been venerated any earlier than the 'oratory' in the legend. After my active research became more difficult, some Roman bits and pieces emerged from nearby field-walking, so the question of earlier use theoretically re-opened, though with no way of settling it.
[ Reply to This ]
    Re: St Kenelm's Well by Anonymous on Monday, 05 November 2018
    In the churchyard of St.Kenelm's Church, Romsley , neXt to the path leading to the main door, is the grave of FREDERICK ALEXANDER BARTON, an early pioneer of gas- filled dirigible airships, who built a very large machine at Alexandra Palace, North London at the beginning of the 20th century. It was flown ,but on its first flight it crashed near Dagenham. Full details of Barton's career may be had of Hornsey Historical Society, The Old Schoolhouse, 136 Tottenham Lane, Crouch End, London N8 7 by Mike Goodall
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