St.Cuthbert’s Well

Edenhall

I’m ridiculously excited to have bagged this one. It has been bugging me for ages because it’s very local, and very inaccessible (firmly ensconced deep in posh private land). I have looked, peered and recce’d and had several abandoned attempts.

When I got up this morning and saw the forecast my thoughts turned to trespass and theft. I half listened to the morning worship and found myself unusually more focused on it than usual, not particularly because I was contemplating transgressions but because it was more engaging than usual. I checked who it was and was unsurprised to learn it was from the Iona Community and part of the post-pandemic Rethink programmes.

My first personal transgression was to start again on the door and thinking more about Sisyphus decided that this was one task I could do without. It would take forever and anticipating the coming weeks and work tomorrow I decided to slap paint on. I did, though, prime it nicely first and left it drying as I contemplated my next transgression.

The weather was so dire I reckoned no-one would be out and the chance of being shot was a little less likely as most wildlife was probably holed up and sheltering. I could wrap up in my waterproofs and absurdly feel a bit less visible.

I headed over to Edenhall, just outside Penrith, parked up and walked to the church. It being a Sunday, I thought this would be good cover. I had studied the maps and the satellite images closely, mentally noting the walls, fences and field boundaries, the trees, the landmarks and the lines of least vision. If I could go over there, round that, hug that line closely, nip over there, slip between those two trees and make a dash across open ground, I’d be there. Apart from the electric fence and barbed wire (which didn’t show up on google maps) it all went to plan. I didn’t even get soaked. And, what a cracking little holy well it was too! Clear, mossy, free flowing and tasted lovely!

I feel sure that PaulaJ has written about The Luck of Edenhall but I can’t find it. I’ll add some links if anyone is interested but The Luck is one of the oldest bits of glass known (now in the V&A) and it belonged to the fairies of the well.

The well is believed to have been one of the stopping places on the route that St.Cuthbert’s body was taken before finally being laid to rest in Durham.

I feel that this must have been the well used for the Penrith Shaking bottle Sunday when they went to Isis Parlis, surely it must have been. Even though it isn’t mentioned as such it just makes sense because it is on the way and there is no well at the cave ... https://www.blipfoto.com/entry/2708803671730162530

Once done I legged it and then went for a walk along the Lady’s walk by the river Eden and took on a legitimate air of rather smug self-satisfied nonchalance, probably another transgression.

Back home my final transgression was to pinch some of the lavender from my neighbours. It has become so overgrown since lockdown it drenches me every time I walk to my back door so I thought they might not mind a bit of judicious pruning for lavender shortbread to have with my tea after another coat of paint on the door.

https://co-curate.ncl.ac.uk/resources/view/95438/
https://edenhallestate.com/history/