Old Wives Well

Geotag Icon Show on map

Old Wives Well would once have stood on open moors, but it now hidden in the woods a short distance from the roadside. The name ‘Old Wife’ may imply a prehistoric origin to the site, a Roman Road also runs nearby.
Old Wives Well
The words “NATTIE FONTEIN” are carved into the well, and there are many suggestions as to its meaning, the most commonly quoted is a corruption of ‘Fons Natalis’ a celtic water nymph.
Old Wives Well
The site clearly still carries meaning for some as there ribbons in the trees all around, making this a Clootie well. Whatever your opinion the site certainly has a lot of history, even if its true origins are unclear.

See The Smell of Water for some more detailed research on the site.

2 thoughts on “Old Wives Well

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.