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Summary

The well house over St. Marys Well dates was built in the 1860s on the site of an earlier well. The ornamental stonework above the door was salvaged from Ringmore Church.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1392219: ST MARY'S WELL

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX64NE/23
• Old Listed Building Ref (II)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CROSS (Altered, XIX - 1850 AD to 1899 AD)
• HOLY WELL (XIX - 1860 AD to 1869 AD)

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

Well ('W') marked on 1880s-1890s 25 inch Ordnance Survey map.

Beckerlegge, J. J., 1937, 6th Report of the Plymouth and District Branch, 224 (Article in Serial). SDV339417.

There is said to have been a well house here.

Brown, T., 1957, Holy and Notable Wells of Devon, 214 (Article in Serial). SDV304810.

Bennett, A. C., 1991, St. Mary's Well (Worksheet). SDV339418.

St. Mary's Well is a roadside well, from which the hamlet takes its name. It is built into the eastern bank of county road No 252. It has a stone well-head, measures 5' 10" high and 5' 3" wide. This has an opening, closed by a wooden door, which measures 3' 2" high and 2' wide. The Rev. Hingeston-Randolph described this wellhead as follows: 'The building over St. Mary's Well was erected by my father and is an imitation of one of the old Cornish wells, St. Minver I think The little bit of ornamental stonework which adorns the arch was found under the paving of the church during the restoration of 1861'. Other details: Photograph.

Watson, A., 2007-2017?, Devon Crosses, 384, (Vol 3), sketch (Un-published). SDV360833.

Saint Mary's Well SX653472
A carved stone cross stands on the apex of the gable end of Saint Mary's Well, Ringmore. A little stone-built well house, probably early 19th century in date. Saint Mary's Well is situated just below Marwell crossroads, on the east side of the road, about one mile north of Ringmore.
Equal armed cross 10.2 by 10.2 centimetres.

Belsey, V., 2011, Highway History in the AONB, 4, Photo (Leaflet). SDV365973.

The Marwell (St Mary's Well) has obvious religious connotations.

Historic England, 2024, National Heritage List for England, 1392219 (National Heritage List for England). SDV365835.

St Mary's Well. Holy Well, 1860's, by Rev F.C. Hingeston-Randolph on site of earlier well.
MATERIALS: Random rubble with ornamental fragment and dressed granite coping.
PLAN: 1.6m wide rectangular building with low door facing west.
EXTERIOR: Well house built directly onto the bedrock and inserted into a substantial west facing scarp denoting one side of a roadway. The well house survives as a small 1.7m high rectangular rubble built structure with pitch roof formed by stone corbelling topped by a substantial triangular shaped granite slab. Carved onto the west facing edge of this slab is a Maltese Cross within a circular panel. The door faces west and incorporates the upper parts of a reused weathered, decorative window fragment above a horizontal lintel.
INTERIOR: The well basin survives as a rock cut cavity in which water from the spring collects.
HISTORY: In common with many wells the early history of St Mary's Well at Marwell is based on speculation, and its antiquity is to some extent derived from the name of the adjacent farm. No specific traditions relating to the well have been documented, but it is known that the surviving well house dates to the latter part of the C19 and was erected by the antiquarian Rev F.C. Hingeston-Randolph to a design based on the well house at St Minver in Cornwall. The ornamental stonework above the doorway was salvaged from nearby Ringmore Church during its restoration by the Rev Hingeston-Randolf in the 1860's. The form of the original structure and whether the well had pre-Christian significance or was first established for domestic purposes only is not known, but the rock cut basin is likely to be original.
REASONS FOR DESIGNATION DECISION St Mary's Well, Ringmore is designated at Grade II, for the following principal reasons:
* The original well basin is very likely to survive.
* Place name evidence strongly supports the holy well identification.
* The well house is of interesting design and construction, fully communicating its function and place in history.
* Documented association with an influential C19 church historian and architect.
* The link with the Grade II holy well at St Minver, Cornwall.
Date first listed: 23rd August 2007

Sources / Further Reading

SDV304810	Article in Serial: Brown, T.. 1957. Holy and Notable Wells of Devon. Transactions of the Devonshire Association. 89. A5 Hardback. 214.
SDV336179	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1880-1899. First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch map. First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital). [Mapped feature: #93345 ]
SDV339417	Article in Serial: Beckerlegge, J. J.. 1937. 6th Report of the Plymouth and District Branch. Transactions of the Devonshire Association. 69. Unknown. 224.
SDV339418	Worksheet: Bennett, A. C.. 1991. St. Mary's Well. Worksheet.
SDV360833	Un-published: Watson, A.. 2007-2017?. Devon Crosses. Mixed Archive Material + Digital. 384, (Vol 3), sketch.
SDV365835	National Heritage List for England: Historic England. 2024. National Heritage List for England. Website. 1392219.
SDV365973	Leaflet: Belsey, V.. 2011. Highway History in the AONB. South Devon AONB Leaflet. Digital. 4, Photo.
	Linked documents:1

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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