Stevington Spring - Church Road, Stevington, Bedfordshire, UK - Holy Wells on Waymarking.com

This 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.

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.

Weblink for more information on this Holy well: [Web Link] Nearby car parking: Not Listed

Visit Instructions:
A photograph of the well would be appreciated to record your visit, but this is not absolutely mandatory, as long as you can describe your visit.
Do you know any more about the history of this well?. If so please let us know.

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