St Helen's Well - North Stainley
(SE 2853 7546)

This holy well is located on the edge of the Lightwater Valley leisure park (3 miles north of Ripon). The spring rises on the north bank of a stream (the Light Water) and flows for a few metres before joining the main stream. The leisure park has expanded over the years but a wide grassy slope still separates the main park from the tree lined stream and it is here that the spring forms a small pool at the foot of two holly trees, with the spring flow being strong enough in places to lift the sand on the bottom of the pool.

St Helen is the most popular Holy well dedication in Yorkshire and she is said to have been a native of York, who later became the wife of the Roman emperor Constantine. Interestingly 500 metres to the east of St Helen's well are the remains of a Roman villa which would have used the spring fed stream for their water supply and bath house, etc. in a similar way to the roman bath house discovered at the village of Well (a few miles to the north west). Both places have holy wells ( St Michael's well at Well) and this might suggest that these holy wells had their origins as Roman water shrines (nymphaium) dedicated to the life giving water spirits.