St. Catherine's Well - Port Erin, Isle of Man
Posted by: Mike_bjm
N 54° 05.182 W 004° 45.566
30U E 384914 N 5994562
St. Catherine's Well is a natural spring on St. Cathrerine's Terrace in Port Erin.
Waymark Code: WMVBRR
Location: Isle of Man
Date Posted: 03/29/2017
Views: 5
St. Catherine's Well (Manx Gaelic: Chibbyr Catreeney) is the site of a natural sping now covered over, though it emanates from under the roadway and flows out onto the adjacent beach.
St. Catherines's Chapel (Keeill Catreeney) was an acient chapel on the lower shore south of the well and may have been the the landing place of an Irish missionary. The Chapel's baptismal well was the freshwater spring.
The well was traditionally famous for the healingp properites of its waters, also "'an animal will have an easy birth if it drinks from a buck contianing 3 rusty nails; a young lady who drinks from a bucket containing 3 normal nails will marry within the year."
The well remained a favourite drinking water source until the end of the 19th century and was covered in and a pump-standard provided for the convenience of the villagers. The standard was removed when a piped water supply became available.
The stone above the modern sign was ereceted by local philantropist William Miner and is inscribed as follows:
Keep me clear
The modern sign on the road reads as follows:
ST. CATHERINE'S WELL
THIS SOURCE OF FRESH WATER
INSPIRED FISHERMEN CENTURIES
AGO TO SETTLE HEREABOUTS
PORT ERIN BEGAN HERE
There is a black plaque with white letteing on the beach which reads as follows:
ST. CATHERINE'S WELL
PORT ERIN
BEGAN HERE
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