Lady's Well, Holystone (Harbottle)
Lady's Well at Holystone, Harbottle. Photo by Northumberland County Council.
(NT 95270291) Lady's Well. (1)
St Ninian's Well, often called the 'Lady's Well', of established sanctity, has features of form and output which render it unique among the sacred springs of Northumberland. The well is on the north-west side of the village, from which it is separated by the course of the Roman road. It is probable that St Ninian himself passed this way, and he may have expelled the rural deity of the source, the first lady of the well, and reconsecrated it to Christian use, his own name being afterwards given to it. The conversion of the well into a rectangular tank with stone walls, if not done by the Romans, must have been the work of some pre-reformation period, for the walls are already ruinous in the early 18th century Warburton describes the well as measuring 42ft x 21ft, and surrounded by the lower courses of a stone wall. A rough stone, about 3ft by 2ft, lying at the east end, was then known as 'the holy stone' from which the village was supposed to derive its name. In 1780 the tank was repaired, the walls rebuilt, and a stone statue intended for Paulinus, brought from Alnwick and set upon a pedestal in the centre of the pool. In the second half of the 19th century, the statue was removed to the west end of the enclosure, and replaced by a plain stone wheel cross. The name Lady's Well is not found in any the reformation reference, the well may have been rededicated by the canonesses of the nunnery.
There is an ancient myth that Paulinus at this spot in 627, baptized a great number of people. Leland writes of 3,000 people baptized in one day. This is repeated by Horsley 1729 and Wallis 1769. The belief seems to have originated from a misreading of Bede, who states that on Easter Day 627, Paulinus baptized King Edwin not at 'sancta petra' ie Holystone, but in St Peter's church at York. (2)
At the east end of the well lies the holy stone, said to be the same whereon Bishop Paulinus knelt at his baptising of the heathen English; and was formerly held in great veneration by the gentry of the Roman Catholic religion who often came here on pilgrimmage. (3)
The basin measures 39 feet by 24 feet and is lined with walls of modern ashlar. The stone cross in the centre is inscribed 'In this place Paulinus the Bishop baptized 3,000 Northumbrians, Easter DCXXXII'. (4)
S Ninian, Holystone. Class A (Named Wells). Class E Wishing Wells demanding an offering. (Hydromancy and the Waters of Destiny). In Warburton's time c.1715, the well seems to have been a healing well. It is now a wishing well into which crooked pins or occasionally pence or halfpence are thrown. (5)
The description given by authority (2) to the present well is correct. The basin, oriented south west-north east, is rectangular with a rounded north east end and measures 13m x 7.8m. In addition to the cross in the centre of the pool and the statue at the south west end there is a stone table resembling an altar a short distance from the north east end of the pool. There is no visible feature that could be associated with the 'holy stone' referred to by authority (3) and none of the existing features shows any evidence of antiquity.
The well is in excellent condition and the waters clear and fresh. Water from it is piped away to the village of Holystone. A notice board nearby states that the well is now National Trust property. (6)
Condition unchanged. (7)
Condition unchanged since reports of 27/5/57 and 2/6/70. Surveyed at 1:2500. (8)
St Ninian's or the Lady Well
Appears to have been a Roman tank at this halting place on the road from High Rochester to the Aln. Rebuilt no doubt in the middle ages, ruinous in early 18th century and restored in 1780. The name of Lady's Well appears to be comparatively modern but may have been given after the nuns of Holystone obtained possession of it. A 19th century stone cross stands in the middle of the tank. (9)
The Lady's Well, Grade I. A well or water tank, cross and statue. Tank possibly Roman - reconstructed in 1788. Statue possibly 15th century, placed here in 1788. Cross late 19th century.
Roman water tank, c.15yds x 10yds, new low edging walls in 1788, when statue representing Paulinus brought from Alnwick Castle. Late 19th century statue moved from centre of tank to south end and replaced by cross. Reputed (doubtful) scene of mass conversions by Paulinus on Easter Day AD627 - more likely a preaching station of St Ninian. (10)
The Lady's Well and section of Roman road. Scheduled on 20th June 1994 national monument number 25044.
NT 9528 0291. The Lady's Well and section of Roman road. Scheduled RSM No 25044. The main feature of the well today is a rectangular stone tank with a rounded NE end which measures 13m by 7.8m overall, and is orientated SW-NE. This tank is considered to be Roman in origin, located at a halting place on the Roman road from the fort at High Rochester to the River Aln; the course of the Roman road enters the well enclosure at its NW corner and passes immediately N of the water tank to leave the enclosure at the NE corner where it proceeds in a NE direction to cross the River Coquet. In the medieval period the Augustinian nuns who inhabited the priory at Holystone gained possession of the well and it is thought that the name Lady's Well may have been given then. The well was repaired in 1780 when the stone edging walls were rebuilt and a 15th century statue brought fron Alnwick Castle and erected in the centre of the well. A stone table which resembles an altar is situated at the E end of the tank
and may also date from the time of this work. In the second half of the 19th century the statue was removed from the centre of the well to the SW end and a stone cross erected in its place. The statue is situated within the socket hole of a large roughly squared stone of unknown origin and date but not unlike the base of a medieval cross. The well today provides the water supply for the village of Holystone. The association with Paulinus's baptism of the 3000 is now accepted as a mis-reading of Bede, and the link with St Ninian is similarly unsubstantiated. (11)
[NT 9529 0291] St Ninian's Well [NR] (12)
St Ninian's Well, often called the 'Lady's Well', of established sanctity, has features of form and output which render it unique among the sacred springs of Northumberland. The well is on the north-west side of the village, from which it is separated by the course of the Roman road. It is probable that St Ninian himself passed this way, and he may have expelled the rural deity of the source, the first lady of the well, and reconsecrated it to Christian use, his own name being afterwards given to it. The conversion of the well into a rectangular tank with stone walls, if not done by the Romans, must have been the work of some pre-reformation period, for the walls are already ruinous in the early 18th century Warburton describes the well as measuring 42ft x 21ft, and surrounded by the lower courses of a stone wall. A rough stone, about 3ft by 2ft, lying at the east end, was then known as 'the holy stone' from which the village was supposed to derive its name. In 1780 the tank was repaired, the walls rebuilt, and a stone statue intended for Paulinus, brought from Alnwick and set upon a pedestal in the centre of the pool. In the second half of the 19th century, the statue was removed to the west end of the enclosure, and replaced by a plain stone wheel cross. The name Lady's Well is not found in any the reformation reference, the well may have been rededicated by the canonesses of the nunnery.
There is an ancient myth that Paulinus at this spot in 627, baptized a great number of people. Leland writes of 3,000 people baptized in one day. This is repeated by Horsley 1729 and Wallis 1769. The belief seems to have originated from a misreading of Bede, who states that on Easter Day 627, Paulinus baptized King Edwin not at 'sancta petra' ie Holystone, but in St Peter's church at York. (2)
At the east end of the well lies the holy stone, said to be the same whereon Bishop Paulinus knelt at his baptising of the heathen English; and was formerly held in great veneration by the gentry of the Roman Catholic religion who often came here on pilgrimmage. (3)
The basin measures 39 feet by 24 feet and is lined with walls of modern ashlar. The stone cross in the centre is inscribed 'In this place Paulinus the Bishop baptized 3,000 Northumbrians, Easter DCXXXII'. (4)
S Ninian, Holystone. Class A (Named Wells). Class E Wishing Wells demanding an offering. (Hydromancy and the Waters of Destiny). In Warburton's time c.1715, the well seems to have been a healing well. It is now a wishing well into which crooked pins or occasionally pence or halfpence are thrown. (5)
The description given by authority (2) to the present well is correct. The basin, oriented south west-north east, is rectangular with a rounded north east end and measures 13m x 7.8m. In addition to the cross in the centre of the pool and the statue at the south west end there is a stone table resembling an altar a short distance from the north east end of the pool. There is no visible feature that could be associated with the 'holy stone' referred to by authority (3) and none of the existing features shows any evidence of antiquity.
The well is in excellent condition and the waters clear and fresh. Water from it is piped away to the village of Holystone. A notice board nearby states that the well is now National Trust property. (6)
Condition unchanged. (7)
Condition unchanged since reports of 27/5/57 and 2/6/70. Surveyed at 1:2500. (8)
St Ninian's or the Lady Well
Appears to have been a Roman tank at this halting place on the road from High Rochester to the Aln. Rebuilt no doubt in the middle ages, ruinous in early 18th century and restored in 1780. The name of Lady's Well appears to be comparatively modern but may have been given after the nuns of Holystone obtained possession of it. A 19th century stone cross stands in the middle of the tank. (9)
The Lady's Well, Grade I. A well or water tank, cross and statue. Tank possibly Roman - reconstructed in 1788. Statue possibly 15th century, placed here in 1788. Cross late 19th century.
Roman water tank, c.15yds x 10yds, new low edging walls in 1788, when statue representing Paulinus brought from Alnwick Castle. Late 19th century statue moved from centre of tank to south end and replaced by cross. Reputed (doubtful) scene of mass conversions by Paulinus on Easter Day AD627 - more likely a preaching station of St Ninian. (10)
The Lady's Well and section of Roman road. Scheduled on 20th June 1994 national monument number 25044.
NT 9528 0291. The Lady's Well and section of Roman road. Scheduled RSM No 25044. The main feature of the well today is a rectangular stone tank with a rounded NE end which measures 13m by 7.8m overall, and is orientated SW-NE. This tank is considered to be Roman in origin, located at a halting place on the Roman road from the fort at High Rochester to the River Aln; the course of the Roman road enters the well enclosure at its NW corner and passes immediately N of the water tank to leave the enclosure at the NE corner where it proceeds in a NE direction to cross the River Coquet. In the medieval period the Augustinian nuns who inhabited the priory at Holystone gained possession of the well and it is thought that the name Lady's Well may have been given then. The well was repaired in 1780 when the stone edging walls were rebuilt and a 15th century statue brought fron Alnwick Castle and erected in the centre of the well. A stone table which resembles an altar is situated at the E end of the tank
and may also date from the time of this work. In the second half of the 19th century the statue was removed from the centre of the well to the SW end and a stone cross erected in its place. The statue is situated within the socket hole of a large roughly squared stone of unknown origin and date but not unlike the base of a medieval cross. The well today provides the water supply for the village of Holystone. The association with Paulinus's baptism of the 3000 is now accepted as a mis-reading of Bede, and the link with St Ninian is similarly unsubstantiated. (11)
[NT 9529 0291] St Ninian's Well [NR] (12)
N1209
FIELD OBSERVATION, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigation 1957; A S Phillips
FIELD OBSERVATION, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigation 1970; D Smith
FIELD OBSERVATION, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigation 1976; S Ainsworth
FIELD SURVEY, Lady's Well, Northumbria Region 1988; THE NATIONAL TRUST
HISTORIC AREA ASSESSMENT, Holystone Village Atlas ; The Archaeological Practice Ltd
WATCHING BRIEF, Lady's Well ; The National Trust
FIELD OBSERVATION, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigation 1970; D Smith
FIELD OBSERVATION, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigation 1976; S Ainsworth
FIELD SURVEY, Lady's Well, Northumbria Region 1988; THE NATIONAL TRUST
HISTORIC AREA ASSESSMENT, Holystone Village Atlas ; The Archaeological Practice Ltd
WATCHING BRIEF, Lady's Well ; The National Trust
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