Ritual site - holy well

The National Monuments Service's description

Described as 'Bride's Well' on the 1839 and 1940 eds of the OS 6-inch map, a pattern was held there until c. 1800, according to John O'Donovan c. 1840 (O'Flanagan 1933, 238). It is situated on a gentle N-facing slope at the source of a small stream that runs off to the WNW to join the E-W Mine River, c. 800m distant. A stone called St Bride's track and shaped like a shovel blade and socket (dims. 0.4m x 0.2-0.33m; max. H 0.14m) may have served as a flume directiing a small flow of water. There is a conjoined circular hut-site (WX005-038002-) nearby. Archaeological excavation (00E0801) uncovered a lintelled stream leading into and out of one of the structures which was unroofed. The other chamber was corbelled but collapsed at some point while the other continued in use. Glass and pottery indicate the building and use of the structures in the 17th or 18th century. Brideswell burial ground (WX005-039----) is c. 140m to the SE. (Gregory 2003)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 1 March, 2012

References

Gregory, N. 2003 Brideswell Big. Post-medieval. in I. Bennett (2011) Excavations 2001: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 401, No. 1298.

O'Flanagan, Rev. M. (Compiler) 1933 Letters containing information relative to the antiquities of County Wexford, collected during progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1838. Typescript in 2 vols. Bray.