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Anne T visited on 14th Sep 2014 - their rating: Cond: 1 Amb: 2 Access: 4 Coventina's Well, near Carrawbrough Roman Fort, Northumberland: Having visited Robin Hood’s Holy Well in Colwell a short time ago, I was interesting in seeing Coventina’s Well and the adjacent Brocolitia, aTemple of Mithras. Having tried to visit 10 days ago, intending to park in the car park for Carrawbrough Roman Fort for half an hour, I was surprised (and disappointed) to find I had to pay £4 for all day parking – I couldn’t just pay for an hour (I understand from one of the other visitors I was talking to that the ticket is valid for all four of the National Trust car parks along the wall for the day, but this didn’t help me). However, my husband is better at finding parking spots than me, and on the way to Ridley Common Stone Circle, spotted a possible parking spot next to the Hadrian’s Wall footpath where we could leave the car for a very short time, so we stopped on the way back. I’m glad I checked the images and grid reference of Coventina’s Well before we left home, so I knew exactly where to go. Having parked in the small spot available where the Hadrian’s Wall Footpath meets the footpath to Slaterfield Farm to the north and the footpath to the Mithraeum to the south, we took our life in our hands and crossed the busy, extremely fast, B6318 (known locally as the Military Road). There is a stile across the dry stone wall into the field with Coventina’s Well, with the footpath continuing in a south easterly arc across the field towards the Temple of Mithras and Carrawbrough Roman Fort (an easier way is probably to park in the proper car park and walk across the Fort towards the Temple, despite the parking fee). The ground in the field was very boggy, even after a prolonged period of dry weather, but thankfully someone had laid a path of stone slabs leading across the field. Looking for the Well, the ground on both sides of the path was high in weeds and marsh grass so it was difficult to make it out. Having crossed a small trickling stream almost at a second stile to cross over to Brocolitia, the Temple of Mithras, we were then able to trace the source of the water back to a heavily weeded, fenced off area. A patch of bright green water weed stood out amongst the grass about 20 yards in front of us, and we took this to be the well, not being able to get closer because of the boggy ground. Checking the grid reference confirmed this was indeed the site of Coventina’s Well. In other images I saw last night, there is also a standing stone which marks the site of the well, but this was well hidden in the foliage. It was a shame this site had been neglected, as it appears to have a fascinating history. The Pastscape Record for this well records a spring contained in a rectangular basin, found in an 1876 excavation. The contents of the well apparently included at least 13, 487 coins and I'd like to find out where these are located. I'm wondering whether a visit in winter with either wellies or waders would let me see more of the well. There wasn't even a visitor's board with any details about the well that I could find.

h_fenton have visited here

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