St.Columba’s Well

I’m not sure if there is an alternative Olympic Games happening but I reckon holy well quests should be in there. Never mind, your triathlons and your decathlons, this is real extreme sport. I’ve entered this one a few times before but failed in the qualifying rounds each time ...
https://www.blipfoto.com/entry/2546460863502485751
This time, I had done all my prep, the records (scant), the historic maps, the large scale O.S. Maps (memorising the field margins, the walls, the tree lines), the aerial photography (belying the on-the-ground reality), the orientation, the equipment (should have bought the waders and machete).
I pulled up and looked across the estuary with that look that they have at Wimbledon in the rest breaks, intense, determined, there but not, in the zone. Some deep breaths, a swig of the coffee from the thermos and a bite of the special recipe lavender shortbread ... and ... she’s off. It looked hopeless from the outset, the undergrowth was dense, there was no route in, I followed the road and then roughly where I felt it should be I plunged in. It was impossible, every step uncertain. As I was about to give up and attempt to retrace my steps I suddenly heard the sound of running water and so hacked on through to the source and found a good strong fresh water flow and what I think must be the waters of St
Columba’s well complete with holy worm (extra). I was so far in the dense rushes by this time I worked my way up through the obligatory nettles and then climbed up the bank and fought through the obligatory barbed wire out onto the field where the chapel/cell was supposed to have originally been and came across the circle of auspicious looking alders on ground that looked like part of old earthworks (extra).