The well is on private land and may only be visited with prior permission from the farmer. St Anne’s Well is a Scheduled Monument. It is a medieval holy well which was believed to cure eye conditions in the 19th century. In recent years it had become entirely buried by farming and was on the Heritage at Risk Register. Historic England worked with the owners and other partners to commission an archaeological investigation in 2016. Repairs to the stonework were also funded.
The holy well known as St Anne’s Well is a well preserved example of a shallow square basin, lined with stone blocks, with steps leading down to the bottom. It lies beside Pendle Brook separating Rainhill from St Helens.
The basin is well constructed of local dressed ashlar sandstone, measuring 1.75m wide and about 1.2m deep with a level stone floor. Two steps lead down to the bottom of the well from the west side. The basin has been partly infilled with soil and only one course of stone is visible above ground. Water appears to have seeped in from below the flagged floor. There used to be a carved stone basin and stone conduit on the north side which took water from the overflow of the well. These features are no longer evident.
A stone figure carved in relief stood over this feature representing a female figure carrying a pitcher of water which, from a sketch made by Owen in 1843, appears mediaeval in date. This figure is missing. A burial ground was reported to have been found next to the well but this was destroyed in the 19th century.
The sketch is reproduced from the Owen MSS by kind permission of Manchester Public Library.
It has also been suggested that a building or chapel of several rooms occupied the site where a couple of monks lived to attend to the afflicted and receive the toll levied.
Pictured below: St. Anne’s Well following excavation in February 2016.
