{"name":"Madron Holy Well","description":"Tucked away off the Penzance-Morvah road, this is probably Cornwall's most famous holy well, but it retains an air of tranquillity and mystery.\nWith hundreds of brightly coloured clouties' tied to the branches, you'd be forgiven for thinking you had stumbled upon a grove of Buddhist prayer trees in the Cornish countryside, but this is evidence of Cornwall's Celtic and Pagan heritage. Clouties were traditionally used in healing rituals, the idea being that as the rag decayed, health was restored. People still tie cloth and ribbons to the trees as good luck charms, especially at Samhain (Halloween), Celtic New Year. From the well it's only a short way to the remains of Madron chapel, where posies of wild flowers are often left on the stone altar by the ancient babbling font. Access for prams and wheelchairs has recently been improved, but in wet weather expect some mud.","ratingClass":"two","activitySectionTitle":"Heritage","lat":50.13724449511481,"long":-5.5767393976376844}
Tucked away off the Penzance-Morvah road, this is probably Cornwall's most famous holy well, but it retains an air of tranquillity and mystery.
With hundreds of brightly coloured clouties' tied to the branches, you'd be forgiven for thinking you had stumbled upon a grove of Buddhist prayer trees in the Cornish countryside, but this is evidence of Cornwall's Celtic and Pagan heritage. Clouties were traditionally used in healing rituals, the idea being that as the rag decayed, health was restored. People still tie cloth and ribbons to the trees as good luck charms, especially at Samhain (Halloween), Celtic New Year. From the well it's only a short way to the remains of Madron chapel, where posies of wild flowers are often left on the stone altar by the ancient babbling font. Access for prams and wheelchairs has recently been improved, but in wet weather expect some mud.
PENZANCE
Cornwall
Reviews
Oct 2014
Interesting story, but not such a spectacular place.