MDE1066 - Parracombe Well northwest of Holwell Castle (Monument)

SS 6689 4467. Holy Well (NR). [1] "Holy and Notable Wells of Devon", a tentative but well documented list, gives the Ordnance Survey as the sole authority for Parracombe well [2]. An ooze rather than a flowing spring with no evidence of any basin or former structure. There seems to be no independent local tradition though a former holy well in the area is implicit in the name Holwell used for the Castle and the local estate in the early 19th Century (vide Lysons "Hist of Devon" 1822). [3-5] Jones refers to a holy well, not dedicated to St Helen, with a burial place which is dedicated to Helen, at Parracombe. However, Parracombe Church was dedicated to Petrock. N.B. The 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map refers to St Petrock's Church as St Helen's Church. St Thomas' Well (MDE1031)is 175 metres northeast of the site and Lady's Well (MDE20142) is 340 metres to the southeast; either could also be the well referred to here. [6-8] Site of holy well shown on 25 inch 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map as a small circle with a straight possible water course running northnortheast to the River Heddon. [7] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [8]