Monument record MDO43342 - Holy well, Holwell

A well giving water reputed to have healing properties.

The well at ST 69921205 is traditionally a Holy Well, said to cure eye afflictions, and possibly giving the name Holwell to the neighbouring village (not mentioned by Fagersten). It consists of a rectangular stone-built tank 2.0m by 1.0m, largely silted up and overgrown but still with a small flow of water. (2)

Only the rim of the tank is now visible with a capping stone at one end, beneath which is a little pool of water. It is not possible to give a date from the visible portions, but the present structures seems likely to be post-Medieval. No flow of water is now obvious. (3)

<1> Ordnance Survey, 1923-33, Ordnance Survey 25-inch map, epoch three, 1927 (Map). SDO11595.

ST 66921205 Well (NAT)

<2> Rigg, J, Field Investigators Comments JR, F1 JR 08-AUG-55 (Unpublished document). SWX1255.

<2.1> Warry, Mrs, 1955, Oral information, correspondence (not archived) or staff comments: Mrs Warry, Westrow Cottage, Holwell (Verbal communication). SDO17520.

<2.2> Fagersten, A, 1933, Place-names of Dorset (Monograph). SDO17521.

<3> Phillips, A S, Various, Field Investigators Comments ASP, F2 ASP 04-NOV-77 (Unpublished document). SWX3817.

<4> National Record of the Historic Environment, 199546 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Jan 18 2022 10:37AM