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<< Our Photo Pages >> St Anthony's Well (Llansteffan) - Holy Well or Sacred Spring in Wales in Carmarthenshire

Submitted by pab on Sunday, 12 October 2008  Page Views: 20931

Springs and Holy WellsSite Name: St Anthony's Well (Llansteffan) Alternative Name: Ffynnon Antwn Sant
Country: Wales County: Carmarthenshire Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring
Nearest Town: Llansteffan
Map Ref: SN34600993
Latitude: 51.763555N  Longitude: 4.398192W
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.
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
5

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Cat7 visited on 1st Jan 2023 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 5 Access: 3

PAB have visited here

St Anthony's Well (Llansteffan)
St Anthony's Well (Llansteffan) submitted by pab : The arched opening to the spring itself. There is no information available about when the various surrounding structures were erected or how the levels have been changed, but we assumed that this would have been the niche over the spring. The items visible are shells - the beach some 50 yards away has a wonderful selection in case anyone wants to keep their children happily occupied while enjoy... (Vote or comment on this photo)
St Anthony's Well is tucked away up a delightful lane leading to the beach near Llansteffan. The stone information slab inside the walled structure around the well claims that it has been the site of healing since the 6th century.

RCAHMW site is fairly cool and non-committal about its age ("Uncertain date, well-head has simple stone arch with empty niche above which once contained the image of a saint.").

From sources writing in the mid 1800s, it seems to have been already thought ancient - Mary Curtis (1815-1895) wrote '..pretty walk leading to St Anthony's Well, to the waters of which miraculous properties were anciently said to belong; the niche remains where the image of the saint stood.'

Janet & Colin Bord, in their 'Sacred Waters', report that 'this once popular well was famed for its healing qualities, but later degenerated into a wishing well'.

On a beautiful sunny October afternoon in 2008, we decided to look for ourselves, and we thought it had a feeling of calm which only comes from very few places.....and we think we will be stopping by fairly often from now on if batteries need recharging!

As to the water, there is a trickle audible, but don't expect to do any bathing!
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St Anthony's Well (Llansteffan)
St Anthony's Well (Llansteffan) submitted by Antonine : 2020 (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Anthony's Well (Llansteffan)
St Anthony's Well (Llansteffan) submitted by Antonine (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Anthony's Well (Llansteffan)
St Anthony's Well (Llansteffan) submitted by Antonine (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Anthony's Well (Llansteffan)
St Anthony's Well (Llansteffan) submitted by Antonine (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Anthony's Well (Llansteffan)
St Anthony's Well (Llansteffan) submitted by Maisie : To get to the well, you have to go through what appears to be a private gate into someone's garden. Do not be put off. It is beautiful. (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Anthony's Well (Llansteffan)
St Anthony's Well (Llansteffan) submitted by pab : The entrance gate and steps down to the well enclosure, with slate plaque declaring it to be St Anthony's Well - as long as you can translate the 'Ffynnon Antwn Sant' which is all it actually says.... The shore (with access along the beach to Llansteffan itself at low tide) is at the end of the path...too bright in the sunshine today to come out in the photo!

St Anthony's Well (Llansteffan)
St Anthony's Well (Llansteffan) submitted by pab : This stone plaque alongside the arched opening reads: " St Anthony of Egypt (c 251 - 356), the first Christian hermit, had a powerful influence on the Celtic Church in South Wales. According to local tradition a Welsh hermit, Antwn (Anthony), who had taken the name of his great Egyptian predecessor, settled near this spot, probably in the sixth century. It is probable that he used water from t...

St Anthony's Well (Llansteffan)
St Anthony's Well (Llansteffan) submitted by pab : St Anthony's Well (Llansteffan)

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 656m ENE 64° Llansteffan Castle* Hillfort (SN352102)
 815m N 355° Fron Ucha* Chambered Tomb (SN3455510744)
 1.5km NNE 18° Waun y Felin Burial Chamber or Dolmen (SN351113)
 1.5km NE 46° Maen Llwyd, St Ishmail* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SN3569610910)
 2.9km N 0° Maen Melyn, Llanybri* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SN34711279)
 3.7km ENE 68° Is-Coed* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SN381112)
 4.5km WNW 282° St Martin's Church (Laugharne)* Ancient Cross (SN302110)
 4.6km ENE 57° Maen Llwyd (Carmarthenshire)* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SN386123)
 5.1km NW 320° Meini Llwydion, Llangynog* Standing Stones (SN3145513969)
 5.3km NW 318° Gors Llangynog* Standing Stones (SN312140)
 5.9km NE 37° Maenau Llwydion, Llangain* Standing Stones (SN38311450)
 6.1km E 97° Allt Cunedda Barrow Cemetery (SN40640897)
 6.2km W 261° Coygan Cave Cave or Rock Shelter (SN28480913)
 6.2km ESE 113° Ffynnon Stockwell* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SN4024207325)
 6.2km NW 320° Pont Ddu* Stone Row / Alignment (SN30791484)
 6.2km NNE 28° Meini Llwydion* Chambered Tomb (SN37721534)
 6.3km N 351° Twlc y Filiast* Chambered Tomb (SN33811618)
 6.4km ESE 111° Ffynnon Sul.* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SN405075)
 6.4km NE 38° Quoit Stone, Parc-y-maen llwyd* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SN38691485)
 6.4km W 280° Llandawke Inscribed Stone* Early Christian Sculptured Stone (SN2827111214)
 6.7km N 349° Bryn Cywyn* Ancient Village or Settlement (SN33551660)
 6.8km ESE 102° Cae Garreg Fawr Standing Stone (Menhir) (SN41210833)
 6.8km ESE 102° Penlan Ucha Enclosure Ancient Village or Settlement (SN41250834)
 6.9km E 101° Cae Garreg Fawr Standing Stones (SN413084)
 6.9km NNE 27° Myrddin's Quoits* Chambered Tomb (SN37911598)
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"St Anthony's Well (Llansteffan)" | Login/Create an Account | 7 News and Comments
  
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Re: St Anthony's Well (Llansteffan) by Anonymous on Thursday, 16 September 2021
Is the water safe to drink?
[ Reply to This ]

Re: St Anthony's Well (Llansteffan) by Anonymous on Saturday, 21 August 2010
We went there today. Lived in the area for 16 years and never knew about it! A Lovely spot but sadly neglected. Crying out for some love. Not sure who is responsible for it? I wanted to tidy it up and remove the dead flowers etc. but didnt feel it was my place to do so left it alone! If its not taken care of that anyone knows of I will clear it next time I visit :(

[ Reply to This ]
    Re: St Anthony's Well (Llansteffan) by PAB on Sunday, 22 August 2010
    (User Info | Send a Message)
    Anon, glad you've found the place, and found it such a delight! I'm not sure who owns it, but I definitely agree that it would be lovely if it had a little TLC. Perhaps worth checking with the local Community Council - I would be very happy to join in a tidy-up session if you manage to find out who maintains it?
    [ Reply to This ]
      Re: St Anthony's Well (Llansteffan) by pengwyn on Monday, 23 August 2010
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      I've joined up now so no longer anon :) Never knew there were so many things to see round here so shall be using the site to explore around the area.

      I shall ask around and see what I can find out. Shame to see it the way it was.
      [ Reply to This ]

Re: St Anthony's Well (Llansteffan) by coldrum on Wednesday, 06 January 2010
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RCAHMW Coflein site has the site record down as Llansteffan. Link here:

http://www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/32259/details/ST+ANTHONY%27S+WELL/

The maps they use on their site also have the name down as Llansteffan.
[ Reply to This ]

Re: St Anthony's Well (Llansteffan) by PAB on Friday, 31 July 2009
(User Info | Send a Message)
Hi Anon - Neither Llanstephan nor Llansteffan is inherently wrong, any more than many other examples of variations in spelling for placenames.

Both spellings can be found on the OS map (as can be evidenced by clicking on the name itself)....and in many other places, including local authority listings of schools. There may be personal preferences, but that doesn't make other people wrong, and surely Google can't be wrong in finding the right place through either spelling!

Whichever spelling other readers were heading for, I hope the well itself casts its own spell over you - I suspect lots of things will have changed in the centuries people have been coming here. May you find tolerance and respect for others, not discord!

Diolch,

pab
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Re: St Anthony's Well (Llansteffan) by Anonymous on Friday, 31 July 2009
The town is LlanstePHan NOT Llansteffan !
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