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Ffynnon Fair is a medieval holy well situated at Cefn in Wales, protected as a scheduled monument by Cadw under reference DE038. The well exploits the natural hydrology of the underlying Dinantian limestone, a Mississippian-age bedrock formation that supports groundwater springs throughout this region. These ancient carboniferous rocks, interbedded with sandstone and mudstone, provide the stable, permeable geology necessary for reliable water sources that medieval communities valued for both practical and spiritual purposes.
Holy wells of this type served as focal points for devotional practice and pilgrimage in medieval Wales, their waters attributed with healing properties and religious significance. Ffynnon Fair's name references the Virgin Mary, indicating its Christian dedication and suggesting its role within a framework of folk Christianity that blended pre-Christian sacred spring traditions with Catholic veneration. The well would have been visited by pilgrims seeking cures, performing vows, or observing seasonal festivals associated with the saint or holy figure to whom it was dedicated.
The monument's survival to the present day, protected within the Cadw estate, preserves evidence of medieval religious practice and the historical relationship between communities and their local landscape. The site's springs emerge from the limestone bedrock that characterises the Cefn area, making this well an enduring natural feature whose spiritual importance persisted across centuries of Welsh history.
Ffynnon Fair (Well), Cefn is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference DE038. View the official record →
Ffynnon Fair is a medieval holy well situated at Cefn in Wales, protected as a scheduled monument by Cadw under reference DE038.
Ffynnon Fair (Well), Cefn dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a holy well. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Ffynnon Fair (Well), Cefn is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Cadw — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Wales. The official designation reference is DE038.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including New Foxhall Dovecot (3.6 km), Old Foxhall Round Barrow (3.7 km), Old Foxhall Earth Circle (3.7 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Ffynnon Fair (Well), Cefn's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Ffynnon Fair (Well), Cefn stands on Dinantian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Mississippian. The rock here is limestone with subordinate sandstone and argillaceous rocks.