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St Beuno's Well is a medieval holy well located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference CN091. The site draws on a tradition of veneration reaching back to the early medieval period, when St Beuno was honoured as a saint of considerable local importance. Holy wells dedicated to Celtic saints became focal points for pilgrimage and healing throughout Wales during the Middle Ages, serving both spiritual and practical purposes within their communities.
The well is situated on bedrock of Llanvirn age, comprising mudstone, siltstone and sandstone formed during the Whiterock period of the Ordovician. This geology would have made the natural spring source a reliable freshwater supply, a practical advantage that often determined where such sacred sites developed. The combination of geological stability and consistent water flow made the location ideal for constructing a permanent shrine.
Today, St Beuno's Well survives as evidence of medieval Welsh religious practice and the enduring significance of places associated with Celtic saints. Such wells often retained their local importance across centuries, their spiritual authority reinforced by the physical presence of water and stone. The site remains an important record of how natural features were incorporated into the religious landscape of medieval Wales.
St Beuno's Well is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CN091. View the official record →
St Beuno's Well is a medieval holy well located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference CN091.
St Beuno's Well 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.
St Beuno's Well 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 CN091.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Tyddyn Mawr, standing stone to SSW of (5.3 km), Part of Inscribed Stone Built into Wall of Churchyard (5.3 km), Tre'r Ceiri Camp (6.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of St Beuno's Well'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.
St Beuno's Well stands on Llanvirn Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Whiterock. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.