The term 'holy well' or 'sacred spring' is commonly used to refer to any water source which has significance in the folklore of its locality in the form of a name, associated legend, attribution of healing qualities through the spirit of a Christian saint, or a ceremony or ritual centred on the well site. In Christian legend the water is often said to have been made to flow by the action of a saint and, in some cases, to have healing powers.
Christianity strongly affected the development of holy wells in Europe, and they were often linked with the cults of the saints, many wells in countries that converted to Christianity fell into disuse and were lost. However, there are no fewer than four holy wells in Lastingham. These are:-
St. Cedd’s Well
This Well, situated on the north side of Front Street, at the east end of the bridge over Hole Beck, commemorates Cedd, who was a Bishop of the East Saxons and Abbot of Lastingham, and who built the first (timber) monastery here about AD660. This grand looking road-side well-house is a nineteenth century construction that re-used stone from the ruins of Rosedale Abbey, which perhaps suggests a nineteenth century promotion of Lastingham's early Christian heritage.
The stone canopy is inscribed with a reference to Cedd's foundation of the Lastingham Monastery. A domestic supply (now shut off) was piped into the well-house but originally spring water is thought to have issued from the mouth in the lion's head.
St.chad’s well
When Cedd died in AD664, his brother Chad succeeded him as Abbot and later became Bishop of Lichfield. This Well, is located on the east side of High Street and consists of a stone trough with hand pump inside a road-side well-house that is recessed into the boundary wall of Rosedale House (formerly White Garth).
A legend attached to St Chad's Well relates that Wulfhere, King of Mercia who, filled with remorse after putting his two sons to death for worshipping at Chad's Well, adopted Christianity at the insistence of his Queen, Ermenilda. However, this legend is most likely to refer to a St Chad's Well at Stowe near Lichfield.
st. ovin’s well
Situated on the east side of High Street, this Well (see photograph) is another road-side well-house, recessed into a boundary wall (St Ovin's House). It has an arched access that might once have had a door, and, if it once had a trough, that has been removed or filled-in and the Well is now dry.
The Venerable Bede tells us that Ovin was the ‘prime minister’ and governor of the family of Queen Etheldrid. He 'renounced the world' to become a monk at the Monastery here when Chad was Abbot, and later removed with Chad to Lichfield when the latter became Bishop there. Ovin was noted for his willingness to labour at hard physical tasks as well as for his deep devotion.
St. mary magdalene’s well
This is the only one of the four Holy Wells that was dedicated to a female Saint and to a Saint who is not connected with the Monastery. Mary became a follower and friend of Jesus, and witnessed his crucifixion and death; She was also the first to tell the news of his resurrection.
Mary is revered as being the woman who once washed the feet of Jesus with her tears. The dedication to Mary Magdalene is obscure, but it is thought that it might be in this 'washing' connection that it was so named, though it might also have had ritualistic and healing significance. the Well is not easily found and cannot be seen from the road. Located near a small stream at the foot of the road embankment, it consists of a trough, situated below ground level, into which a spring issues from under a low stone arch on which the dedication to Mary Magdalene is inscribed. It is known that the trough was exposed and excavated in 1964, when Mr H Frank found a shard of late Roman/early Saxon pottery (as well as another piece from the thirteenth century), which suggests usage for more than one thousand five-hundred years.
well dressing
is a tradition in some parts of rural England in which wells are decorated with designs created from flower petals.
Now associated with Christianity through the saints, it is speculated that it began as a pagan custom of offering thanks-to-gods for a reliable water supply. The custom has waxed and waned over the years, but saw twentieth century revivals in Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Yorkshire, Cheshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire and Kent. Well-dressing is still practised in Lastingham – the most recent occasions being in 2014 when it was associated with a flower festival.