Welsh Journals

The RUTHIN Illustrated Magazine. A MOHTHLT JOURHAL FOR ALL CLASSES. To Inform. To Instruct. To Amuse. Ho. 15. Vol. II. APRIL, 1880. TWO PENCE. HOLY WELLS IN AND ABOUT THE VALE OF CLYWD. BY THE REV. EL.IAS OWEN, M.A. St. Pbtee's Well. This well was in the parish of Llanrhudd. It was called St. Peter'8 well after the patron saint of the Collegiate Church, Euthin, which is dedicated to St. Peter. The site of the well is in the parish of Llanrhudd, and in ancient times it appears that Ruthin Church was a chapel belonging to Llanrhudd Church, but it became of greater importance than the mother chnrch, and thus the well became the property of the daughter. The drained off spring of the well, is all that exists at present. The younger inhabitants of the town are ignorant of its previous glory, and for the most part all that they know of it is its name. A stranger would have soma difficulty in ascertaining its position. The writer made many enquiries ere he could get this in¬ formation. A couple of old friends, natives of the place, gave him full directions, but being unable to fix upon the exact spot, Mr. Charles Jones, Prior street, kindly accompanied him to the place where the well was, and supplied much of the information oontained in this paper The well stood in a meadow in a line between Castle farm and the Railway, and it is about one hundred yards from the Railway and a tew hundred yards from the first road that connects the Cor wen and Llanfair roads after leaving Ruthin. My inform¬ ant told me that years ago there were two paths leading to the well, one from the town, and the othar from Ty'n y wern, and he is inclined to think that at least one of these paths, that leading from from the town, was paved. The well was about three yards square, the bottom was paved and the sides lined with stones, there were two steps to the well. Sixty years or so ago, the well was kept in proper order and was greatly venerated. In the youth of the age& inhabitants it was con¬ sidered an offence to play about the well. The water used in St. Peter's Church, whether for th« font, or any other purpose, was always procured from this well, even the water required for washing the church was obtained therefrom, and that too when there was a well close at hand where water might have been easily got. It is said that the well was kept clean by the church officials. The water was considered good for driuking; to use it for bathing w uld have been looked upon as a desecration. With time, ohauges ever take plaoe, and from being once carefully looked after the well was ultimately neglected, and when Lewie the author of the Topographical History of Wales visited Ruthin about fifty years ago he thai describes the well. " A chalybeate spring de¬ dicated to St. Peter, was formerly in high repute for the supposed miraculous medicinal effioaoy of its waters ; it is strongly impregnated with soma mineral, and, if due care were taken to prevent its admixture with other waters, it might still be found highly beneficial." With continued neg¬ lect the well became overgrown with grass. At present it is merely a puddle covered over with rank grass and tufts of rushes, and the water of the spring is carried off by a drain. At one enl are a few stones. From the nature of the sur¬ rounding sod it seems that the well stood originall/ in a turbary. The spring is still observable. It is rathbr curious that the local name of the well was J " F/ynon Peters well" and this name was used by ! people who possibly knew that ffynon and witt 1 wereidentical terms though in different languages. The meadow where tha wall was took its nam« therefrom. (To be continued.)