Celtic GloryHistory

St Clare's Well

St Clare's Holy Well, Philham, Devon

We stumbled across this holy well, having seen it marked on a map of holy wells. However, it is situated in the farmyard of a busy dairy farm. We asked permission of the young farmer who was in the yard and though somewhat perplexed by our interest he took us to the overgrown well. It's set to the edge of the farmyard, covered in undergrowth of brambles and other greenery. The ivy had totally covered the well house and it was impossible to see the masonry. The wooden door was virtually rotted out, however on opening the well was still full of water and the remains of a small medieval statue present in a niche at the back. Due to the farmer being present we were unable to stay and pray at the holy well and it's unlikely we would revisit. It is an early well, but it is not clear whether it dates back as far as Celtic times. We visited more because we were in the area rather than any sense of its current importance spiritually. I couldn't find any information about St Clare.

St Clare’s holy well philham

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