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Lady's Well, Holystone
Lady's Well, St Ninian's Well or Paulinus' Well is situated just north of the village of Holystone. It is a very atmospheric site and one of the best known features of Holystone.
The powerful spring, said to discharge 560 gallons a minute, now issues forth into a rectangular stone-lined basin, which is rounded at the north-east end and measures 13m by 7.8m. The tank is orientated south-west to north-east and is surrounded by fir trees within a stone-walled enclosure. The current layout is largely the result of extensive restoration of the pool in the late C18th when the tank was repaired, the walls rebuilt and a statue intended to represent St Paulinus was erected on a pedestal in the centre of the basin. The statue was subsequently moved to the south-west end in 1861-62 and replaced by a simple wheel cross.
Local tradition says an altar-shaped stone near the well is the 'holy stone', which gives the village its name.
"At the east end lyeth a stone 3 foot in length and 2 in breadth called the holy stone, said to be the same whereon the forementioned Bishop [Paulinus] kneeled at his baptising of the heathen English; and was formerly held in great veneration by the gentry of the Roman Catholick religion who ofttimes come here on pilgrimage." (from account of John Warburton, 1715).
Keys to the Past: Link
Northumberland National Park: Link
The powerful spring, said to discharge 560 gallons a minute, now issues forth into a rectangular stone-lined basin, which is rounded at the north-east end and measures 13m by 7.8m. The tank is orientated south-west to north-east and is surrounded by fir trees within a stone-walled enclosure. The current layout is largely the result of extensive restoration of the pool in the late C18th when the tank was repaired, the walls rebuilt and a statue intended to represent St Paulinus was erected on a pedestal in the centre of the basin. The statue was subsequently moved to the south-west end in 1861-62 and replaced by a simple wheel cross.
Local tradition says an altar-shaped stone near the well is the 'holy stone', which gives the village its name.
"At the east end lyeth a stone 3 foot in length and 2 in breadth called the holy stone, said to be the same whereon the forementioned Bishop [Paulinus] kneeled at his baptising of the heathen English; and was formerly held in great veneration by the gentry of the Roman Catholick religion who ofttimes come here on pilgrimage." (from account of John Warburton, 1715).
Keys to the Past: Link
Northumberland National Park: Link
Created: Thu, 11 Dec 2014, Updated: Wed, 28 Nov 2018
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