St. John's Well/Monk's well Beauchief Abbey

[duckweed]

We've been investigating where the well is in Beauchief. We have found two possible structures. The most likely is between Beauchief Hall and the Abbey near a carpark. It appears to have steps down to it. Anyone know any details about the well or can confirm where the well is?   

[Edmund]

The location given in "Holy Wells and Spas of South Yorkshire" by Rob Wilson is SK 3314 8144 - arrowed on the OS map here:

This is the same area surveyed in 1903:

The mapped location is opposite the car pull-in for the allotments, where a path enters Gulley Wood.  In 1884 the location of "St John's Well' was well-known (sorry) by Sheffielders and was described as an open well, similar to the "Our Lady Well" near Lodge Moor.

Here's a photo labelled as being Monk's Well, Beauchief, from the Flickr website:

[duckweed]

Thanks. Heard vaguely of the well at Lodge Moor but know very little about it. Three others I've failed to locate is Fullwood Spa (suggested it is in the Roughs) and one in Darnall and one in the Ponds. 

[Heartshome]

5 hours ago, duckweed said:

Thanks. Heard vaguely of the well at Lodge Moor but know very little about it. Three others I've failed to locate is Fullwood Spa (suggested it is in the Roughs) and one in Darnall and one in the Ponds. 

Hi duckweed. Coming originally from an old cottage in Fulwood Valley, I can tell you, where it actually was! 

is 'anybody's guess'. It has been reputed over many years to have been at locations all over the Fulwood

area. From one side of the moorland at Fulwood Head, to the other side hill slopes down from the Norfolk

Arms at Ringinglow. Several people have 'claimed' over time, that they knew where it was, but! trouble with

that was, each one was at a different location!!  It has been discussed 'many' times, but it is still in truth

'UNLOCATED'   Regards Heartshome.

 

 

[duckweed]

2 hours ago, Heartshome said:

Hi duckweed. Coming originally from an old cottage in Fulwood Valley, I can tell you, where it actually was! 

is 'anybody's guess'. It has been reputed over many years to have been at locations all over the Fulwood

area. From one side of the moorland at Fulwood Head, to the other side hill slopes down from the Norfolk

Arms at Ringinglow. Several people have 'claimed' over time, that they knew where it was, but! trouble with

that was, each one was at a different location!!  It has been discussed 'many' times, but it is still in truth

'UNLOCATED'   Regards Heartshome.

 

 

I was given a leaflet written by Ivor Gatty that gives clear argument for the Roughs and even supplies a photo but no exact location. It certainly fits the description that Thomas Short gave in his list of Spas.  He also mentions the Well at Fullwood Head.    

[Edmund]

Maybe a more productive way to investigate the site of the Fulwood Spa is by tracking Thomas (H)Eaton who built the basin and enclosed it in a "house".  I've not found any (H)Eatons living at Fulwood as yet, but the Town Collector in 1727-28 was Thomas Eaton or Heaton.  Short's book was published in 1734 and (H)Eaton was deceased at that point (though oddly Thomas Heaton of Sheffield was listed as a subscriber).

[Heartshome]

5 hours ago, Edmund said:

Maybe a more productive way to investigate the site of the Fulwood Spa is by tracking Thomas (H)Eaton who built the basin and enclosed it in a "house".  I've not found any (H)Eatons living at Fulwood as yet, but the Town Collector in 1727-28 was Thomas Eaton or Heaton.  Short's book was published in 1734 and (H)Eaton was deceased at that point (though oddly Thomas Heaton of Sheffield was listed as a subscriber).

Thanks Edmund. Been there! it's what caused agro, with claimants saying they had located it, but it

wasn't in the same place. It's why I doubt if the TRUE source will ever be found, as there are so many

natural springs around Fulwood. The trough on the drive where Mum lived, is fed by a moorland spring,

Mum was told that in early 1900s I believe it was, patients from the Annex were being brought down to

drink from it ?! Apart from being nice and fresh at that time, I can't see it would have helped much ! The

other probability also is, that for one-up-man-ship in following years, people would claim that the well,

spa/spring on their land is the one.  Specially if they thought they could get a bit of revenue out of it.

Something else that makes things difficult, is that springs can dry up or move outlets over time, especially if

they're on hillsides or farming land. One over the next bank side to us that had a cap stone over it, dried up

after years and years, for no apparent reason.

                                                                   It is an intriguing subject. Regards Heartshome.

[Bikeman]

On 13/10/2022 at 15:15, Edmund said:

The location given in "Holy Wells and Spas of South Yorkshire" by Rob Wilson is SK 3314 8144 - arrowed on the OS map here:

This is the same area surveyed in 1903:

The mapped location is opposite the car pull-in for the allotments, where a path enters Gulley Wood.  In 1884 the location of "St John's Well' was well-known (sorry) by Sheffielders and was described as an open well, similar to the "Our Lady Well" near Lodge Moor.

Here's a photo labelled as being Monk's Well, Beauchief, from the Flickr website:

Thanks and the above is very interesting - our school took us to Beauchief Hall for 'Games' every week for 5 years and I did cross-country for the school, all around the area and never knew there was a well there - I'll have to have a walk and see if I can see the remains of the well.

[Edmund]

On 14/10/2022 at 16:02, Heartshome said:

Thanks Edmund. Been there! it's what caused agro, with claimants saying they had located it, but it

wasn't in the same place. It's why I doubt if the TRUE source will ever be found, as there are so many

natural springs around Fulwood. The trough on the drive where Mum lived, is fed by a moorland spring,

Mum was told that in early 1900s I believe it was, patients from the Annex were being brought down to

drink from it ?! Apart from being nice and fresh at that time, I can't see it would have helped much ! The

other probability also is, that for one-up-man-ship in following years, people would claim that the well,

spa/spring on their land is the one.  Specially if they thought they could get a bit of revenue out of it.

Something else that makes things difficult, is that springs can dry up or move outlets over time, especially if

they're on hillsides or farming land. One over the next bank side to us that had a cap stone over it, dried up

after years and years, for no apparent reason.

                                                                   It is an intriguing subject. Regards Heartshome.

OK, I'm going to have a go at proposing (another) location for the Fulwood Spa...

My suggestion is: the garden of Bole Hill Farm at the junction of Harrison Lane and Blackbrook Road (ex Bole Hill Lane). Maps and photos are below.  There is a pathway leading due west from Crimicar Lane to my suggested site - Thomas Heaton made a path to the well for the hordes from Sheffield to use.  There appears to be the remains of walls each side of the site (see Lidar scan), and these seem to be still visible (Google Earth photo). In 1791 the area was occupied by William Woodhouse junior.

[Heartshome]

Hi thanks Edmund. Well! it's an intriguing idea to add to the list.

It's a pity we never had an artist in the past who had done a sketch of it, as the surroundings may have given us a clue to its location.

******************************

Have looked through all maps & land surveys I have, they all indicate just a Well on the Bole Hill Farm site till 1902.

Interestingly, I've found 2 mentions in the book by Rob Wilson, Holy Wells & Spas of South Yorks'

It seems St Ann's Well & Fulwood Spa are either the same, or, been confused by people over time.

A Mr Silcock says it was just past Redmires at Fulwood Booth, and was an old Roman well.

While Muriel Hall (who was a Fulwood Historian) says 'it was on land between Knowle Top & Fulwood Head Farm on the slope,= it had never been known to dry up, = was regularly used as drinking water, = the ice-cold water had an invigorating effect, = undoubtedly medical properties in it, = till c1935 it had a stone head with a possible date 1541 adding weight to it being St Ann's Well.'

Rob did investigate it, but couldn't find a positive location. So, it's hard to know what to make of it. 

 

      Regards Heartshome.

[duckweed]

There would appear to be still a well in Fullwood head farm on the ordnance survey map & there is a St Ann's well mentioned as Redmires.   https://www.thenorthernantiquarian.org/sites/northern-england/yorkshire-south/  Though one source suggests the Redmires well disappeared when the reservoir was built. Neither Short nor Hunter call Fullwood Spa St Ann's well. Though of course many landowners would give a spring a holy name to give it status. Generally speaking real holy wells are in or close to a religious site, as happens in Dronfield (Another St John's well) close to the church, Midhopestones St James well. What we do know about Fullwood Spa is that it originally was good source of iron in water and that in later times less iron. It has been suggested that mining changed the nature of the Spring.  It also was exceedingly cold which suggests a certain depth.

[Heartshome]

13 minutes ago, duckweed said:

There would appear to be still a well in Fullwood head farm on the ordnance survey map & there is a St Ann's well mentioned as Redmires.   https://www.thenorthernantiquarian.org/sites/northern-england/yorkshire-south/  Though one source suggests the Redmires well disappeared when the reservoir was built. Neither Short nor Hunter call Fullwood Spa St Ann's well. Though of course many landowners would give a spring a holy name to give it status. Generally speaking real holy wells are in or close to a religious site, as happens in Dronfield (Another St John's well) close to the church, Midhopestones St James well. What we do know about Fullwood Spa is that it originally was good source of iron in water and that in later times less iron. It has been suggested that mining changed the nature of the Spring.  It also was exceedingly cold which suggests a certain depth.

Thanks duckweed. You can see the problem with proving the true source of the Spa! As years go by and memories fade,

Conjecture, Stories, Suppositions and in some cases complete fabrication of the facts come into play, hence the reason for

the later possible confusion with FULWOOD SPA & St ANNE'S WELL. Adding to the location difficulty, is the fact a majority

of the rural population many years past, wouldn't have a written record of exactly where it was as they couldn't write. 

If only there was the visible proof of the dated cap stone, but it appears to be long gone.  So, the quest goes on!