Cof Cymru: National Historic Assets of Wales · Wales
Well, south of Rhos-y-Cribed
St. David's and the Cathedral Close, Pembrokeshire, Wales
A scheduled monument in St. David's and the Cathedral Close, Pembrokeshire, recorded as Holy Well (Medieval).
The record
- Designation
- Scheduled monument
- Site type
- Holy Well
- Period
- Medieval
- Date of designation
- 14 July 2017
- Welsh name
- Ffynnon, i'r de o Rhos-y-Cribed
- Community
- St. David's and the Cathedral Close
- Unitary authority
- Pembrokeshire
- Country
- Wales
- Coordinates (centre of the scheduled area)
- 51.87095, -5.28521
- SAM number
- PE571
- Cadw record number
- 4397
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
5 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1608 map "(13) Cambriae Typus." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
Historical maps covering this location
- 1608 · (13) Cambriae Typus. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1636 · Cornubia : Devonia, Somersetus, Dorcestria, Wiltonia, Glocestria ... (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1637 · Particular description of Wales. Cambria seu Wallia (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1898 · 209 St David's (Hills) (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1901 · Sheet 13. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
Cadw's description
Summary description and reason for designation
The monument comprises a holy well known as Pistyll Dewi or Ffynnon Dewi. A stone built, squared off wellhead around 1.5m across, covers a spring and the issuing water runs along a stone-lined channel to the southeast. According to tradition, the spring arose miraculously at the baptism of Dewi (St David) by St Elvis, and the waters restored the sight of Dewi’s blind godfather who held the baby for the baptism. The well is repeatedly associated with the remains of a chapel, with some accounts saying that the water is sanctified by running under the chapel’s altar. However, the undergrowth is so dense that no trace of the chapel can currently be seen. The structure has been truncated and was originally covered either by slabs or a vault.
The well is of national importance for its association with St David, and as a manifestation of the early church’s links with Ireland through St Elvis (known in Ireland as Ailbe or Ailbhe). The strength of legend and tradition associated with the well lends it significant communal value, whilst the stone structure itself is likely to originate in the medieval period and retains the potential to inform us about medieval religious structures and rites associated with them.
The Scheduled area is a circle 10m in diameter, covering 0.01 hectares.
Nearby in the register
- Footbridge adjacent to Road BridgeTransportunder 1 mi
- One of a Pair of Limekilns on western side of slipwayIndustrialunder 1 mi
- One of a Pair of Limekilns on Western Side of SlipwayIndustrialunder 1 mi
- One of a Pair of Limelkilns on Eastern QuayIndustrialunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.