HOW MANY HOLY WELLS ARE THERE? And how far away will the Harp Roads and the Holy Wells really be?

People have been celebrating the gift of water for millennia. I think many of the early people were wanderers, so they were also hikers and would appreciate any source of clean water. The headline photo is of a well on the edge of my local national park. It is named after St Chad, who was 7 years old.^th Bishop of the century. He is considered the patron saint of wells and springs.

Holy wells can be found everywhere.

This chapel is called Notre Dame de Vernettes and is high on the edge of a valley in the Alps. There was also a spring here and local shepherds always believed it had healing properties. in the 18th^th In the 19th century the local priest decided that the well would have its own sacred chapel and that the healing waters would henceforth be dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The well was closed and access was made easier with a road from the nearest town, located a few kilometers away. The chapel is austere on the outside, with simple white walls, and inside there is an explosion of colorful frescoes.

Holy Wells in Wales.

There are many holy wells in Wales. In fact, there are hundreds and they are scattered everywhere. Some are fully operational with running water and pretty stone surrounds. Some are simply cracks in the rocks and many are dark, damaged or missing. As in many areas of life, I stand on the shoulders of giants here, as much of the research and documentation has been done by devotees who seek out the information and record it. In choosing my hiking route, I was inspired by the writings of historians and their comprehensive websites.

“Walker there is no path, when you walk paths are made”

I love this quote, immortalized in a stained glass window in a building I used to work in. By choosing HYOH as my mantra and creating the HHH walk, I have to choose the path, which means selecting the wells I will try to find. They are not marked and many are in dark places. I’ll look for some famous ones with suitable builds, some obscure ones that need some attention, and maybe some surprises. Plus, they have to be close to my route, so long side quests won’t be necessary. Now I have some great maps to start plotting my route and the wells have wonderful stories attached to them that I will share as I discover them. This also means that I’m not really sure how long this hike actually takes.

However, St Degan’s may not make the cut

Yo You will depart Wales via the port of Fishguard. Further down the coast is St Degan’s Well. he was a 6^th Saint of the 19th century and great traveler who had the title of “Itinerator”. That must have been the name of their hiking trail. He was said to have traveled the seas on horseback, leaving hoof prints in the rocks from which he emerged! Read more: sa8skz. Unfortunately, his well will not be visited on this trip, but the wonderful image of him galloping across the sea illustrates how difficult it will be to choose between the different wells and their amazing stories.

What about Ireland and Scotland?

Once again, there are too many wells to visit more than a selection, guided by my route and the locations of my friendly harpist companions. Some Scottish wells are called “Clootie Wells” because of the custom that people have of visiting them and tying pieces of cloth to nearby trees as an offering. Sometimes they are from the clothes of the sick, waiting for their healing. This practice has been observed in many places in Europe and the Middle East, suggesting ancient and perhaps even pre-Christian activities. I love that feeling of connection to a deep, distant past. I think the hike will be around 500 miles, but I won’t really know until I go because there are a lot of unanswered questions about what the best route is, there is no “red line”.

This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any products or services you purchase using links in articles or advertisements. The buyer pays the same price they would otherwise pay, and their purchase helps support The Trek’s ongoing goal of bringing you quality backpacking information and advice. Thank you for your support!

For more information, visit the About page of this site.