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MHG1226 - Holy Well - St. Mary's Well, Crosskirk, Reay

Summary

St Mary's Well which is reported dry and in a dilapidated condition.

Type and Period (2)

Protected Status

Full Description

St Mary's Well (NR)
OS 6"map, Caithness, 2nd ed., (1907)

St Mary's Well, a natural spring whose waters are regarded as medicinal, lies in a natural hollow in the rock and is allegedly the holy well belonging to the chapel noted on ND07SW 1.
Name Book 1873.

Remains of poss C12th chapel said in 1726 to be dedicated to St Peter (W Macfarlane 1906) but which writers from Pennant in 1769 (T Pennant 1774) onwards have assigned to St Mary, an assignation supported by the fact that a holy and healing spring well, 15 chains to S and associated with chapel, bears that dedication. There is no local traditional dedication.

This spring, still known locally as St Mary's Well, is lined with stone slabs and is approximately 1.0m deep. It is now used as a cattle trough. Resurveyed at 1:2500.
Visited by OS (N K B) 28 October 1964.

St Mary's Well is dry and in a dilapidated condition.
Visited by OS (J B) 28 August 1981.

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Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred ND 0243 6978 (4m by 4m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	ND06NW
Civil Parish	REAY
Geographical Area	CAITHNESS

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