Holy Well (destroyed): OS Grid Reference – NN 9677 5199
Also Known as:
Fuaran Chad
St. Cedd’s Well
Archaeology & History
All trace of this once renowned holy well seems to have gone. It was located, according to the local historian James Kennedy (1927) “on the terrace behind the Church”; although Charles Stewart (1880) earlier told that it was found on the hillside above the church. On our recent visit here, the level piece of land just above the River Tay, “on the terrace behind the Church” as Kennedy told, had no notable spring of water upon it—but we didn’t check the slope above the road to see if there was anything there. By all accounts it’s long since gone.
There’s also slight confusion regarding the dedication of this well. Kennedy, once more, ascribed it to have been St Cedd’s Well, the brother of St Chad, and not Chad himself who was venerated here. But this wasn’t the view of MacKinlay (1893) or Knight (1933) in their major studies. But let’s leave that element to the hagiologists for the time being!
Tradition told that the spirit of the waters was deeply offended when the annual market in Logierait—dedicated to St Chad/Ched on his saint’s day of August 22—was stopped. As a result the waters removed themselves and fell back to Earth. This curious motif is found at a number of wells in other parts of the country.
References:
Kennedy, James, Folklore and Reminiscences of Strathtay and Grandtully, Munro Press: Perth 1927.
Knight, G.A.F., Archaeological Light on the Early Christianizing of Scotland – volume 2, James Clarke: London 1933.
MacKinlay, James M., Folklore of Scottish Lochs and Springs, William Hodge: Glasgow 1893.
MacKinlay, James M., Influence of the Pre-Reformation Church on Scottish Place-Names, William Blackwood: Edinburgh 1904.
Mitchell, Hugh, Pitlochry District: Its Topography, Archaeology and History, L. Mackay: Pitlochry 1923.
William Borlase (1769), in his revised classic on the megaliths & antiquities of Cornwall, wrote:
“Since we are now considering these Stone-monuments, there is a very singular Monument in the Parish of Madern (Cornwall) which in this place, will naturally offer itself to our enquiry. In the Tenement of Lanyon stand three Stones-erect on a triangular Plan. The shape, size, distance and bearing, will best be discerned from the plan and elevation of them…
“The length of the area described by the supporters of Lanyon Quoit is seven feet; but it does not ſtand East and West, as at Molfra, but North and South… There is no Kist-vaen, that is, no area marked out by Side Stones, under this Quoit, which is more than 47 feet in girt, nineteen feet long; its thickness in the middle, on the Eastern edge, is sixteen inches, at each end not so much, but at the Western edge this Quoit is two feet thick. The two chief supporters…do not stand at right angles with the front line, as in other Cromlehs, but obliquely, being forced from their original position, as I imagine, by the weight of this Quoit, which is also so high that a man can fit on horseback under it. Under this Quoit I caused to be sunk a pit of four feet and half deep, and found it all black earth that had been moved, and should have sunk still deeper, but that the Gentleman in whose ground it is, told me, that a few years before, the whole cavity had been opened (on account of some dream) to the full depth of six feet, and then the faster appeared, and they dug no deeper; that the cavity was in the shape of a grave, and had been rifled more than once, but that nothing was found more than ordinary. This Cromleh stands on a low bank of earth, not two feet higher than the adjacent soil, about 20 feet wide, and 70 long, running North and South: at the South end has many rough Stones, some pitched on end, in no order; yet not the natural furniture of the surface, but designedly put there; though, by the remains, it is difficult to say what their original poſition was. Wet N. W. there is a high stone about 80 yards distance. By the black earth thrown up in digging here, nothing is to be absolutely concluded, there having happened so many disturbances. By the pit being in the shape of a grave, and six feet deep, it is not improbable that a human body was interred here, and by the length of the bank, and the many disorderly stones at the South end, this should seem to have been a burial place for more than one person.”
William Borlase 1769 ground-planWilliam Borlase 1769 sketch
Antiquarian Notes
William Cotton, in 1827, told that:
“About a mile and a half north of the church, in the parish of Maddern, and close to the road side, is Lanyon Cromleh, so called from the name of the estate on which it stands. The covering stone, which is nearly flat, and of a triangular figure, measures 44 feet 10 inches in circumference, 18 feet 2 inches in its greatest length, and 9 feet in width, and weighs 15 tons. This Quoit, as it is usually called, was originally supported on four upright stones, describing an open area 7 feet in length, north and south, but not forming an enclosed Kistvaen, like Molfra and Chun Cromlehs. During a very violent storm in the year 1815, when the Delhi East Indiaman was wrecked in Mount’s Bay, it fell to the ground, and one of the supporting stones was then broken. It is probable that the earth beneath it, having been frequently loosened by excavations, was washed away by the heavy rains, and caused its downfal. In the year 1824 it was again set up, by subscription among the inhabitants, with the machinery used in replacing the Logging Rock, under the superintendence of Captain Giddy, R.N., whose zealous exertions overcame every difficulty, and merit the thanks of all topographical antiquaries. The Cromleh now stands as firm as ever: in putting it up, a piece was broken off the top stone, at A, (see the plan). It is supported on three upright stones, each 4 feet 10 inches in height, the tops having been made level, and their positions a little altered.
“This view represents Lanyon Cromleh as it now stands, and differs from all the prints I have seen of it, — which have been uniformly copied from Dr. Borlase’s book, and do not, by any means, give a correct representation. The doctor says, in his time a man on horseback could ride under the incumbent stone — now, its height from the ground is only 4 feet 10 inches. The figures 1824, to mark the year when it was re-erected, have been rudely inscribed on one of the supporting stones.
“Dr. Borlase caused an excavation to be made under this Cromleh, as well as under the last mentioned, but without discovering any human bones ; he was led, however, to conclude, by the appearance of the earth, that a body had been interred there.”
Cotton’s 1827 sketch
Antiquarian Notes
James Orchard Halliwell wrote, in 1861:
“At a distance of some five miles from Penzance, on the road from Madron to Morvah, near the road, on the right-hand side, is the Lanyon Quoit or Cromlech, a fine specimen, and perfect in all essential particulars. The best way of reaching it, if walking, is to take the path to the left in the fields after passing the Madron Union, and keep as nearly in a straight line as possible until the cromlech appears. It is situated in a conspicuous situation in the midst of a wild moor, and is interesting in its Titanic grandeur and vast antiquity. The top covering consists of an enormous flab of granite, supported by three upright unhewn blocks of stone, but near there are three fallen stones, one of which at least was certainly at one time one of the supporters. The dimensions of the cap-stone are thus given by Borlase: —
“This quoit is more than forty-seven feet in girt, and nineteen feet long ; its thickness in the middle on the eastern edge is sixteen inches, at each end not so much, but at the western edge it is two feet thick.”
This cromlech is sometimes called by the country people the Giant’s Quoit, and occasionally the Giant’s Table. My measurement made the covering-stone forty-fix feet in circumference, with a thickness varying from ten to eighteen inches. It is not improbable that the stone has been chipped off at one or two of the corners since the time of Borlase. Between the cromlech and the road are the remains of a stone and earth circular barrow about eighteen feet in diameter. There is an odd tradition that the first battle fought in England was decided in the locality of Lanyon Quoit.”
Blight, J.T., A Week at the Land’s End, Longmans Green: London 1861.
Borlase, William, Antiquities, Historical and Monumental, of the County of Cornwall, Bowyer & Nichols: London 1769.
Borlase, William Copeland, Nænia Cornubiæ, Longmans Green Reader: Truro 1872.
Colquhoun, Ithell, The Living Stones, Cornwall, Peter Owen: London 1957.
Cooke, Ian, Antiquities of West Cornwall – Guide 1, Cornwall Litho: Reduth 2002.
Halliwell, J.O., Rambles in Western Cornwall in the Footsteps of Giants, John Russel Smith: London 1861.
Jewitt, Llewellynn, Grave Mounds and their Contents, Groombridge: London 1870.
Redding, Cyrus, An Illustrated Itinerary of the County of Cornwall, How & Parsons: London 1842.
Russell, Vivien, West Penwith Survey, Cornwall Archaeological Society: Truro 1971.
Straffon, Cheryl, Megalithic Mysteries of Cornwall, Meyn Mamvro: Penzance 2004.
Acknowledgements: Huge thanks for use of the Ordnance Survey map in this site profile, reproduced with the kind permission of the National Library of Scotland.
Stone Circle (destroyed): OS Grid Reference – NO 332 430 (approximation)
Archaeology & History
This stone circle wasn’t logged in either Barnatt (19890 or Burl’s (2000) standard megalith inventories. The only mention of it seems to be in Alex Elliott’s (1911) rare work on the region, in which he described it as being located “within the grounds of Mylnefield”. All trace of it would seem to have gone. Elliott told it to have been,
“elliptical in form and consisted of six large boulders – three at the east, three at the west, with a gap between capable of holding an equal number of stones.”
References:
Elliott Alexander, Lochee – As it Was and As it Is, J.P. Mathew: Dundee 1911.
From Silsden, head up to Brunthwaite village and follow the same directions as if you’re going to see the Brunthwaite (1) cup-marked stone and, once there, look at the walling immediately behind it and you’ll see, at the base of the wall, peeking out is a small earthfast boulder. It’s about a yard away. You’ll find it.
Archaeology & History
Sticking out from the edge of the walling at ground level is this low small cup-marked stone, rediscovered by rock art explorer Tom Cleland just a few weeks ago. It sits behind the cluster of rocks that were dumped here not too many years back. The carving comprises of at least three well-defined and quite deep cups, only two of which were initially visible until we cleared out a third one that had become filled with soil. It’s possible that there’s more of them on the stone, but we’d have to take the wall down to find that out!
The stone seems to be earthfast and may have remained in the same spot, untouched, since when it was first carved four or five thousand years ago—and certainly the depths of the cups suggest that its it’s been pretty much covered over for most of its life. The walling that’s been built on top of it is pretty recent by comparison; but it’s notable that its petroglyphic neighbour, the High Brunthwaite (3) carving, 175 yards to the east, is also an earthfast rock with the field-wall built on top of it.
Its somewhat minimalist appearance reminds me of several of the cup-marked petroglyphs at the top of Shipley Glen, six miles southeast of here, including the Baildon Moor (126) and (130) carvings…
Acknowledgements: Massive appreciation to Thomas Cleland for finding this carving and showing us it’s whereabouts.
Cup-and-Ring Stone (removed): OS Grid Reference – NZ 1475 6350
Archaeology & History
This carving presently lives in what Beckensall & Laurie (1998) described as “the stone store” at the Museum of Antiquities at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, but it was discovered in some walling close to the road on the south-side of Ryton by a Mr William Cocks in 1934. The carved rock is relatively small—measuring “roughly two feet five inches, by one foot ten inches, by one foot three inches in thickness”—and was obviously not in its original position, but would have lived relatively close to the walling into which was placed. Mr Cocks told that,
1934 sketch of the carving
Modified Beckensall sketch
“the stone bears one “cup and ring” with four radial ducts, the latter being in an exceedingly fine state of preservation. There are also ten plain cups of circular form; one cup with a deep conical duct; and one large cup which appears to have been formed by uniting two circular cups. All show the “pocking” or tool marks of manufacture, and these are especially noticeable in the radial ducts.”
The cup-marked Ryton (1) stone was found some 250 yards to the west and the Ryton (3) petroglyph was less than half-a-mile north, making it likely that other types of prehistoric remains once existed in this locale.
References:
Beckensall, Stan, Northumberland’s Prehistoric Rock Carvings – A Mystery Explained, Pendulum: Rothbury 1983.
Beckensall, Stan & Laurie, Tim, Prehistoric Rock Art of County Durham, Swaledale and Wensleydale, County Durham Books 1998.
Cocks, W.A., “The Ryton ‘Cup and Ring’ Marked Rock,” in Proceedings Society of Antiquaries Newcastle-upon-Tyne, volume 6, no.8, 1934.
As you’re going into Silsden up the A6034 road, over the canal bridge, turn right (east) and go up Howden Road for half-a-mile, then go left up Hawber Lane and after 250 yards veer right along Brunthwaite Lane. After nearly another half-mile, through gorgeous High Brunthwaite hamlet and just as the road bends round past the last of the gardens and houses, go through the gate into the field on your right. You’re needing to look at the walling here, which runs alongside the road, but on the field-side, barely 10 yards up. A cluster of rocks has been piled-up against the wall. The largest rounded broken one is the one you’re looking for.
Archaeology & History
Looking across the cups
Discovered recently by the petroglyph explorer Thomas Cleland, this is one of two cup-marked stones in close attendance to each other. It’s nowt special to look at—unless you’re an ardent rock art buff!—as it consists of just two large well-formed cup-marks on its near-vertical face: the most distinct one being some two-inch across and a half-inch deep. The stone was obviously rolled here from very close by and just piled up against the wall and has been broken from a larger piece of rock, but we could see no other cup-marks on the others laid around it (although we couldn’t lift and turn the others over to see if there was anything on their undersides). The earthfast High Brunthwaite (2) cup-marked stone is just a yard away at the base of the wall.
Acknowledgements: Massive appreciation to Thomas Cleland for finding this carving and showing us it’s whereabouts.
Stone Circle (destroyed): OS Grid Reference – NN 9020 0985
Also Known as:
Blackford Glebe
Brookfield House
Archaeology & History
In the 18th Century there stood, on the slight rise of the land about 150 yards south of Brookfield House, one of those “circles of stones…in the glebe”, of the sort that “are supposed to have been places of Druidical worship,” wrote John Stevenson. (1792) Sadly, sometime in the 19th Century, the entire site was uprooted and destroyed, leaving no trace of the place. Not good…. 🙁
References:
Stevenson, John, “Parish of Blackford,” in The Statistical Account of Scotland – volume 3, (edited by, John Sinclair) William Creech: Edinburgh 1792.
Found on the south-side of the stream a few hundred yards northeast of the aptly-named ‘Holywell Farm’ and highlighted on the early Ordnance Survey maps of the region, this once important sacred site is today, according to local folk, little more than an overgrown muddy patch, visited by very few and hard to see underfoot. It was described, albeit briefly in Leonard Jacks’ (1882) beautiful work, where he told that, “About a mile from the house is to be seen a holy well, a place of interest, which is undoubtedly connected with the past history of the place.”
In medieval times, the manor of Winkburn was the seat of the religious Order of the Knights Hospitallers, otherwise known as the Knights of St John of Jerusalem, to whom Bob Morrell (1988) professed this well to have been dedicated. He described there being a small structure around the water source, wondering whether it may have been a bath of sorts to convey water to the nearby house, but remains of this can no longer be seen. It would seem that a good ground survey of the site is required, at the end of Winter when all the vegetation has fallen back, to see if the waters can be recovered and the Holy Well brought back to life for local people. Fingers crossed! 🙂
Folklore
The water from St. John’s Well was said to be good for sore eyes. The religious celebration day of St. John is traditionally around June 24, usually overlaying earlier summer solstice celebrations.
References:
Jacks, Leonard, The Great Houses of Nottinghamshire and the County Families, W. & A.S. Bradshaw: Nottingham 1882.
Gover, J.E.B., Mawer, Allen & Stenton, F.M., The Place-Names of Nottinghamshire, Cambridge University Press 1940.
Morrell, Robert, Nottinghamshire Holy Wells and Springs, Nottingham 1988.
Acknowledgements:Huge thanks for use of the Ordnance Survey map in this site profile, reproduced with the kind permission of the National Library of Scotland.
Highlighted on the early Ordnance Survey map of the region by the appropriately named ‘Holywell Farm’, this once important sacred water source would seem to be little more than a muddy patch nowadays. Not good. Its cold waters were reputedly good for curing skin diseases such as scurvy, along with aiding in the affliction of rheumatism.
Local folklore attributed the site to have once fed some Roman baths, but this idea seems to have been a diluted version of it once, historically, supplying some baths a few hundred yards east, albeit in the 19th century and not way way back in Caesar’s days! Of course, the waters of the well would have been used in ancient times, but we have no archaeology or unbroken traditions telling us such things. It was last known to be used as a local water supply in the 1920s. The fact that the spot where it used to run free is still sometimes boggy means that it could be re-animated with a bit of effort from local people.
References:
Morrell, Robert, Nottinghamshire Holy Wells and Springs, Nottingham 1988.
Acknowledgements:Huge thanks for use of the Ordnance Survey map in this site profile, reproduced with the kind permission of the National Library of Scotland.
From the Cow & Calf car-park, walk towards and past the gigantic Calf rock, swerving round the fallen mass of rocks and into the trees at the back. Walk uphill to the Hanging Stones cup and ring stones, then keep heading—down the slope then back up the next one—west, for barely 100 yards until you’re on the level ground again, following the footpath alongside the heather. Barely 50 yards along, keep your eyes peeled in the heather for a low flat rock just a few yards in. Forage around and you’ll find it.
Archaeology & History
You’ll no doubt be seeing this carving after you’ve visited the impressive Hanging Stones petroglyphs 150 yards to the east. And you’ll probably be disappointed in its lack of visual grandeur when compared to its more ornate eastern neighbour. But the petroglyph fans among you should give it your attention.
Hedges 1986 sketch
Looking to the SE
When the dawn or evening daylight cuts across the rock, the design looks much better than at sun high, perhaps telling us that the message of the stone coincided with those periods of the day. The gentle folds of the stone itself morph into the carving: evening and morning light cutting subtle shadowy folds across the rock, giving it an organic texture that our aboriginal ancestors told to be a vital essence of stone itself. The two small clusters of cup-marks upon this stone become greater than their basic design when brushed with the shadows and glows of a sunset. And when our aboriginal peoples painted them in ochre and other colours, an even greater mythos emerged—but sadly it is forgotten here….
When looked at with the simplistic eyes of the archaeo-mind, this and its compatriots are little more than a number of marks on lifeless rocks. This stone for example was described in John Hedges’ (1986) survey as being just “two groups of four and five cups and grooves”—nothing more—with naught but an echo in Boughey & Vickerman’s (2003) later work. The carving has neighbours even more basic in the heather close by…
References:
Boughey, Keith & Vickerman, E.A., Prehistoric Rock Art of the West Riding, WYAS: Wakefield 2003.
Hedges, John (ed.), The Carved Rocks on Rombalds Moor, WYMCC: Wakefield 1986.
