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NOTES TAKEN FROM ‘THE MAGIC AND MYSTERY OF HOLY WELLS’ by EDNA WHELAN
(A book I borrowed in 2013 and typed up a few notes from for research. Some comments were recorded on the St Helen's well at Croyde site page.)
Edna writes:
"When deciding the boundaries of parishes the sites of Holy Wells were included as being important historical points and these formed definite markers along the dividing lines. For instance, the report of the perambulation of an old boundary in Wharfedale in 1576 included the directions: “and so up the same sike to two stones standing in Walton Head Lane, being in the churchway between Rigton and Kirkby Overblow and so directly through a close called Warsholes into a well there called Warehelewell, out of which Swinden Sike springeth.”
Later on in the same report it is stated, “and so directly to Swankenwell, alias Siveinrodekell, which well is a little south from a great stone with three holes in it”, and towards the end of the perambulation there is mention of, “Craven Keld by the highway which leadeth from Hebden to Paytlay-Briggs”.
Wareholes Well still exists, surrounded by elders in a small valley full of very fruitful blackberry bushes, near Kirkby Overblow, and behind this well is a tall boundary stone marked by the initials K.F. the number 5, and the date 1767. These initials stand for Knaresborough Forest which bounded the lands of Kirkby Overblow but I have not discovered any further mention anywhere of Swankenwell or of Craven Keld, nor have I ever seen the great stone with its three holes. There is, however, a Snape Well in the same neighbourhood."
and....
“Fertility has been one of the qualities attributed to the use of well-water but it was the fertility of the earth and the animals which was of equal importance to that of woman or man. A paragraph in the guide to All Saint’s Church at Kirkby Overblow talks of St. Helen’s Well which is set back from the road just around the corner from the church and states that,
“The waters of St. Helen’s Well never fail and have medicinal properties. From Pagan Times it must have been associated with fertility rites and the track between it and Almscliff Crag, which lowers on the horizon, must have been well worn for it too was a pagan place high and lifted up.” Stirring stuff.”
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