St. Grellans Well

On a hummock in grassland, c. 25m S of a stream. A natural spring well, dedicated to St Grellan, comprising an unroofed circular well-chamber (D 1.55m) of roughly cut stone. The entrance is at E, where stone steps lead to the water. According to OS Letters (O'Flanagan 1927, Vol. 1, 511-12), this well 'was formerly looked upon as a most miraculous spring' and a pattern was held on the 29th of September. The Rev. Fr. Egan recorded (1960, 8) that ‘Nowadays, only a faithful few go to the well and they have great faith in the miraculous powers of the water, which is regarded as a cure for many ills in animals and humans. The devotion follows the usual pattern, recitation of a prescribed number of Paters, Aves and Glorias and drinking of water from the well. When leaving, some insignificant object is deposited there; a relic, no doubt, of the age-long widespread custom of giving some valued possession as a votive offering to a scared shrine.’ (Alcock et al. 1999, no. 3576) Revised by: Paul Walsh Date of upload: 2 October 2017

St. Grellans Well is associated with St. Grellan, a 6th-century Irish saint known for his ascetic life and connections to Cornwall and Ireland. The well was traditionally visited for healing, particularly for eye ailments, and was likely a site of pilgrimage and seasonal rituals.