Stevington Spring, Bedfordshire, UK - Natural Springs on Waymarking.com

We found Stevington Spring on our doorstep as it is the next village from where we reside. Prior to geocaching we used to enjoy country walks and the Ouse Valley Way passes the Spring and is a popular walk for us. We then became geocachers and included the Spring as a feature of this, waymarking has then followed. It is a very scenic area and has great views across the valley to Felmersham, as the flood plains stretch towards the River Great Ouse. Stevington Spring is arched over and built into the churchyard wall of St. Mary's Church. The church stands on rising ground, formed of alternating beds of limestone and clay, which holds up the water percolating the limestone-hence, probably, the spring. The water is clear, sparkling, and tasteless. At one time people visited this holy well in considerable numbers. The waters from the spring were reputed to cure eye ailments and the spring has never been known to dry up, even in the longest and hottest of summers. The Spring is approximated to be 7th Magnitude.

There is an unusual plant which grows next to the Spring which grows very tall. Common Butterbur (Petasites hybridus) is a herbaceous perennial plant in the family Asteraceae, native to Europe and northern Asia. The flowers are produced in the early spring, before the leaves appear; they are pale pink. It is also called Bog rhubarb, Devil's hat and Pestilence wort. Synonyms include P. officinalis, P. ovatus and P. vulgaris.

The herbalist Nicholas Culpeper called it "a great preserver of the heart and reviver of the spirits". Its many uses in folk medicine include applications as a diuretic and muscle relaxant, and to treat coughs, fever, wounds, stammering, headaches, asthma and stress. Not all of these uses are supported by scientific research.

The link The Building of the Church is a very interesting and informative website describing in detail this ancient site of both Church and Spring.

Public or Private Land?: Public Public Land Fees?: No Fee, the Spring is on the Ouse Valley Way footpath Private Land access?: off public footpath

Visit Instructions:
Please post an original picture of the springs no GPS necessary along with your observations of the spring. What wildlife you saw if any and the condition of the springs. Water level was high, low. The area was clean, trashy ect. Any other knowledge or experiences you have had with this paticular spring that would help document it's history.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   02/12/2011 Norfolk12 visited it