About Holy Wells of Wales
Holy wells are natural springs often named for saints, e.g. Ffynnon Fair or St Mary’s Well. There are hundreds recorded in Wales, though many are now lost, but some can still be visited. This website contains my research into the most interesting holy wells in Wales.
List of wells described
Ffynnon Aelhaearn, Llanaelhaearn, Caernarfonshire
St Anne’s Well (Virtuous Well), Trellech, Monmouthshire
St Anthony’s Well, Llansteffan, Carmarthenshire
Ffynnon Faglan, Llanfaglan, Caernarfonshire
Ffynnon Barruc, Barry Island, Glamorgan
Ffynnon Beuno, Clynnog Fawr, Caernarfonshire
Ffynnon Beuno, Tremeirchion, Flintshire
St Cadfan’s Well, Tywyn, Montgomeryshire
Pistyll Goleu, Radyr, Glamorgan (created by St Cadog)
Crochan Caffo, Llangaffo, Anglesey
Ffynnon Canna, Llangan West, Pembrokeshire
Ffynnon Cawrdaf, Abererch, Caernarfonshire
Ffynnon Gelynin, Llangelynin, Caernarfonshire
Ffynnon Lochwyd, Holy Island, Anglesey (created by St Cybi)
Ffynnon Gybi, Llangybi, Caernarfonshire
Ffynnon Gybi, Llangybi, Ceredigion
St Degan’s Well, Llanwnda, Pembrokeshire
Ffynnon Dderfel, Llandderfel, Merionethshire
Pistyll Dewi, Porthclais, St Davids, Pembrokeshire
Pistyll Dewi, St Davids, Pembrokeshire
Ffynnon Ddier, Bodfari, Flintshire (St Diheufyr)
Ffynnon Dunawd, St Davids, Pembrokeshire
This website is currently a work in progress, and more entries will be added as time allows.
About the author
I am Janet Bord and I have been researching holy wells in Britain since 1985, my first book being Sacred Waters: Holy Wells and Water Lore in Britain and Ireland (1985). I have also published Cures and Curses: Ritual and Cult at Holy Wells (2006) and Holy Wells in Britain: A Guide (2008): both these are available free, downloadable from Heart of Albion (www.hoap.co.uk).
For the past 20 years I have been researching specifically saints’ wells in Wales, and my published papers about Welsh wells are:
‘…famous for the Cure of all Diseases…’ St Govan’s Well over 350 years
Pembrokeshire. The Journal of the Pembrokeshire Historical Society
No. 25 (2016)
Reinterpreting Saint Seiriol’s Well, Penmon, Anglesey
The Anglesey Antiquarian Society & Field Club Transactions (2021)
Three Denbighshire Holy Wells (Ffynnon Degla at Llandegla, Ffynnon Ddyfnog at Llanrhaeadr-yng-Nghinmeirch, Ffynnon Drillo at Llandrillo-yn-Rhos)
Transactions of the Denbighshire Historical Society Vol. 70 (2022)
Derwen’s Healing Well: A history of Ffynnon Pyllau Perl, alias Ffynnon Sarah (Sara) and Ffynnon Saeran
Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol. 171 (2022)
When the Blessed Virgin Mary Visited Merioneth
Journal of the Merioneth Historical and Record Society XIX (2024)
Dancing with the Saints: In the Footsteps of St Cybi on Holy Island, Anglesey
The Anglesey Antiquarian Society & Field Club Transactions (2024)
Holy Wells in Ceredigion
Ceredigion: Journal of The Ceredigion Historical Society
Vol. XIX no. 4 (2024)
Image Credits
Ffynnon Aelhaearn Well © Eric Jones, licensed under Creative Commons via Geograph UK.