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Holy well

The Holy Well, Holywell Bay

Holywell Bay, near Newquay, Cornwall

A holy well hidden in a sea cave, reached only at low tide.

At the northern end of Holywell Bay, a sea cave holds a series of small pools formed by mineral-rich water trickling down the rock, creating colourful stone basins. For centuries, people brought sick children here to be dipped in the pools.

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When
Ancient
Where
50.3900, -5.1500
Group
Holy wells & springs

Visiting

Check the tide times carefully. Only visit at low tide, and take care on slippery rocks.

Cover of The Ledger of Lost Britain by Cale Mills
Read the full story in the book

The Ledger of Lost Britain

The Romans arrived in AD 43. For most people that is where the history of Britain begins. But by the time the legions landed, people had already been living on these islands for thousands of years. They had hunted, farmed, mined flint, dragged stones across the country, raised a hill by hand, and buried their dead in great tombs. They left no written words. What they left was the ground itself. Every place in this book can be visited, or has been dug up, or is in a museum.

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