London: 'Holy Well' found underneath Australia House

A Holy Well in NW London

Water in an ancient 'holy well' discovered underneath Australia House in the Strand was tested last month and found to be still pure and clear. ABC TV news were escorted down to the spring by Australian high commissioner to Britain, Alexander Downer. Later, scientist Richard Lawson, from the Greenwich-based organisation Latis Scientific, tested a sample and said the water is safe enough to drink. Little is known about the origins of the well but Mr Downer said it is believed to be about 900 years old.

There were once thought to be at least 20 holy wells in London. Most have disappeared under housing or road development but their names still remain. A few have been turned into pumps or are remembered by plaques. They include:

Clerk's Well, Farringdon Lane, EC4

The Clerks' Well gave its name to the district of Clerkenwell. It was located in the boundary wall of a convent - St Mary's Nunnery. The well was the scene of medieval miracle plays performed by the parish clerks of London and it was mentioned by William Fitzstephen in his description of the city as early as 1174. After the Reformation and the Dissolution of the Monasteries, Ray Street (now Farringdon Lane) was built on the grounds of the convent and the well was accessed through the basement of a building in this road. In 1800 a pump was placed at pavement level to allow public use of the well but by the middle of the 19th century the well was closed. For many years, the exact location of this important site was uncertain, until it was rediscovered in 1924 during building work in Farringdon Lane. The present well can be visited by calling the Islington Local History Centre on 020-7527-7988. Read more here: www.islington.gov.uk/islington/history-heritage/heritage_borough/bor_sites/Pages/clerkswell.aspx

Holywell, Holywell Lane, EC2

This holy well has disappeared. It is mentioned in John Noorthouck's 'History of London', published in 1773 as follows: "In the parish are two prebends, and part of a third, belonging to St Paul's cathedral, in the city of London: The first dominated by Eald-Street, or Old Street, received that appellation from the Saxons being part of the Roman military way: the second, which had been a separate village for many years, by the name of Hochestone, vulgarly Hoxton, likewise itself to be of a Saxon origin: the third called Haliwell, had its name from a vicinal fountain, which, for the salubrity of its water, had the epithet Holy conferred on it.

In King John's Court, Holywell-lane, are to be found the ruins of the priory of St John Baptist, of Benedictine nuns, founded by Robert the son of Gelranni, prependary of Haliwell, and confirmed by charter of Richard I in the year 1189. It was rebuilt in the reign of Henry VII by Sir Thomas Lovell, knight of the garter; who was there buried: and the following ditty was in consequence painted in most of the windows. 'All the nuns of Holywell, pray for the soul of Thomas Lovell'."

In his London survey, John Stow (1525 - 1603) states: "Holywell is much decayed and spoiled, with filthiness purposely laid there for the heightening of the ground for garden plots."

St Bride's Well, Fleet Street, EC4

This well was located close to the south-east corner of the present church. St Bride's is one of the oldest of the London churches and probably built upon an ancient shrine dedicated to the Celtic goddess Bridget. The well has disappeared under a modern house/office extension but evidence suggests that it was still providing water in the 19th Century.

Sadler's Well, Rosebery Street

The well can still be seen today and has been incorporated into the new Sadler's Wells Theatre. The plaque reads: *In June 1683 Dick Sadler, surveyor to the King, built a Musick-House near a country footpath leading from Clerkenwell to Islington. By chance, earlier that summer he had discovered a medieval well in the grounds of his house. Believing the waters to have miraculous medicinal powers, people flocked to Sadler's Wells to enjoy musical entertainment and to stroll in the gardens and take the water."

St Agnes Well, Kensington Gardens

The well is situated close to the pump house facing the Italian Gardens and is marked by a small square metal cover.

St Govor's Well - Kensington Gardens

The inscription written around the well states: "This drinking fountain marks the site of an ancient spring, which in 1856 was named St Govor's Well by the First Commissioner of Works later to become Lord Llandover. Saint Govor, a sixth century hermit, was the patron saint of a church in Llandover which had eight wells in its churchyard." The well is mentioned in a story by JM Barrie. the author of Peter Pan.

St. Agnes Well - Old Street

Long vanished, but archaeologists are investigating the area before it is further redeveloped - so the well may be rediscovered.

Black Mary Well - Farringdon Road

All trace of this well have gone but it is believed it was once owned by the Benedictine nuns of St Mary's, Clerkenwell - often called 'Black Mary's' because of the colour of their habits.

St Blaise's Well - Bromley

This chalybeate spring still exists as a pump in the grounds of the Bishop of Rochester's Palace.

St Chad's Well - St Chad's Place

A once well-known medicinal well that disappeared with the development of the Metropolitan railway line. St Chad's Well is thought to be of very ancient origin, and was one of the most important of the many wells in London.

Camberwell

This ancient well, which gave its name to this district of London, was re-discovered in 2009.

Kilburn Well - Kilburn High Street

Close to the site of the old Kilburn Priory. A plaque in the wall of a shop honours the site of the well as does a more recent pavement plaque.

Lady Well - Ladywell Road, Lewisham

The Lady Well was close to Ladywell Road, west of the river Ravensbourne. It had probably been a holy well dedicated, like the nearby church, to St Mary the Virgin. It ran dry in 1855.

Mus-Well - Muswell Road, NW10

In Sunderland's book 'Old London, Spas, Baths and Wells' Mus-well is given 'holy well' status claiming that it was named after 'Our Lady of Muswell' and there is a legend that a Scottish King was cured of illness after drinking the water. The well has long since disappeared but its original position would have been close to the junction of Muswell Road and Conniston Road.

Another well close by was St Dunstan's Well which was well known in the fifteenth century but had almost disappeared by the 1800's. This would have been in the present Alexander Park Road, not far from the junction with Talbot Road.

St Pancras Well - St Pancras

The exact site of this well has been hard to determine, but it lay to the south and reasonably close to the old St Pancras church. It resided in the garden of the house probably immediately to the south of the churchyard known as Thornley Place. It was described for its healing properties 'in the greatest perfection and highly recommended by the most eminent physicians in the Kingdom'. It now, almost certainly, lies under the new railway development of St Pancras station.

Tottenham Wells

A number of wells are recorded in a Tottenham including St Loy's well [sometimes called St Eloy's well], which would have been close to the corner of St Loys Road with Morefield Road and Bishop's well, the latter of which was claimed to have remarkable curative properties.