Sunday, 10 September 2023

Sunday in Stogursey: St. Andrew's Holy Well (and Church)

After walking from Fiddington and seeing Stogursey Castle, we chanced upon St. Andrew's Holy Well, down a side street in the centre of Stogursey Village:



Have just read that the Holy Well is comprised of two pure springs, each running into its own stone cistern (tank).


Have also just discovered that the two springs were first viewed as sacred in very early times, with the dedication to St. Andrew being first recorded in 1473.

At one point, the spring water provided the only good drinking water for the whole of the Stogursey village.

On top of the gateway arch that leads to the two springs (Holy Well) can be seen the Cross of St. Andrew.


It was a blessing to come across such an interesting find, of course.

A few minutes walk from the Holy Well, we had a look at St. Andrew's Church which dates back to the early 12th century:



Have just read that St. Andrew's, now the parish church of Stogursey, was first built as part of the Benedictine Priory of Stogursey that was founded in 1100-1107 by William de Falaise who was a manorial lord in the area.

Inside the church, a fine statue of St. Andrew can be seen on the wall:

There were also some old-looking tombs:



Plus, what looked like an incense-holder up near the altar:

The organ looked impressive too:

Interestingly, I've just read that the church also contains a Sanctuary Ring that was installed in the 13th century. 

Have also just found out that in Medieval England, fugitives could find a place of refuge inside a church for up to 40 days and then either admit their crime or stand trial. 

If the fugitives admitted committing a crime, they forfeited their possessions and went into exile. Thus, it sounds like some early kind of plea bargaining system.

The final shot below is of an impressive-looking gravestone:

Round the back of the church.

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