A little bit Dicky

Dicky Bank Holy Well

The day started with fireplace repairs and then I headed into town to do various chores. Earlier this week my landlord and I had finally, after nearly 2 years, realised an oversight by our respective banks so today I went to get things sorted. Once done I treated myself to the excitement of a bit of local well hunting. As I drove out of town onto Beacon Edge I felt that nervous frisson of uncertainty and expectation. I knew roughly where to go and that I could get close by using a nearby footpath but the site is on private farmland so I started practicing my nonchalant, casual, ‘just out for a constitutional’ look as I looked for cover and places to scramble over the wall and barbed wire. Eventually I found a spot and hugged the hedge line. I was feeling pretty doubtful. It was one I hadn’t been aware of, or read about, until now; it’s not marked on the map. As I climbed the hill things suddenly started to get boggy and then i came across some very ancient looking tree stumps and the hedge itself had a real feel of antiquity about it (extra). Then, beyond my expectations, I came across the stonework in the blip. It’s hard to work out what it might have looked like and there was no free flow of water that I’d have considered testing but it certainly had a feel of having been something. As usual, I’m baffled. There are a couple of public footpaths nearby but nothing goes to the well. There’s no clear reason why this spot would have been significant. Yet again, another story lost to time but it was part of the rounds of the other local wells (as you can see in the extract below).

After all that I headed up Barton fell for a mizzly meander. I had company (extra). Then home to more living room painting and some veggie haggis.

From ‘The Legendary Law of the Holy Wells of England’ - Charles Hope

PENRITH WELLS.

The only church in the diocese dedicated to St. Ninian is at
Penrith. Penrith was once noted, and has some fame still, for
the number of its wells. The whole month of May was set apart
for special observance of customs and ceremonies to be performed
on each Sunday. There were four wells with a Sunday allocated
for honouring each well. The Fontinalia opened at Skirsgill on
the first Sunday ; then in order Clifton, afterwards the well at the
Giant's Caves, supposed to be St. Ninian's ; and, lastly, at Dicky
Bank, on the fellside, where the festivities were concluded.