Holy Well

I managed to find time to walk to our nearest Holy Well, which is located about a mile away. It has an uncertain history, although it definitely fed a set of Medieval fish ponds, which may have been used by the monks of Peterborough Cathedral. The following is an extract from Thompson, B. (1913) .The peculiarities of water and wells. Journal of Northants Natural History Society and Field Club, 18(135).

 'There is a beautiful spot, called Holywell, in the neighbourhood of Peterborough, well known, and much frequented by the inhabitants. the road lies through a pleasant park, where stands an ancient edifice belonging to the Fitzwilliam family, called Thorpe Hall... After passing the front of this mansion, turn to the left, by the stables and outer buildings will lead, through a white gate, to a small green field from whence this picturesque little spot is seen, with its ivy clad walls, and its dark cypress and yew trees, casting their gloomy shadows around. Passing some broken steps which form the entrance, a shady path conducts to a modern niche, supported by two pilasters, over a slab pavement to a stone basin about six feet in depth and thirty in circumference. This is constantly supplied with clear water, running from the mouth of a subterraneous passage which connects Holywell with the cathedral of Peterborough. An artificial mound of earth is thrown up above this cavity, which is covered with creepers, ground-ivy and a few wild flowers.


   Contiguous to the basin are some small fish ponds, partially shaded by beautiful trees; and the green rushes which grow at their bank form undisturbed retreat in which the moor-hen builds her solitary nest. A little further on is a piece of an old pillar, which is gracefully overhung with a wreath of ivy... An old wall surrounding Holywell on two sides, in which traces of windows and doorways are still discernible, is the last feature we shall mention.'


The well is in a rather more dilapidated state than when described in 1913, and the actual grotto has an ugly iron gate across it. The main image shows the interior of the grotto (taken at ISO 8000!) while the extra shows the whole structure. It is now fairly certain that there was no passage between the well and the cathedral and it also seems that the name is more likely to have been derived from 'hollow well' rather than 'holy well'. But it's still a rather unexpected place, being surrounded by a modern housing estate, and it deserves rather more respect than it is currently given.


I've put more photos of the site in a Flickr album, for anyone who's keen!