Yorkshire Holy Wells
 

 

 

St Helen's Well - Littlethorpe
(SE 3018 6901)

A strong spring rises at the head of a stream called St Helen's Gutter, which flows from the foot of a banking on the east side of the Ripon to Harrogate road. The water from the spring is channeled some way underground and emerges from an opening in a small section of drystone walling.

Previously, the "St Helen's Gutter" name had been noted on the OS map, but no reference had been found to a holy well at this location. However whilst researching St Mungo's well at Copgrove, a footnote in the book "Memorial's of Copgrove" (Major 1922), mentions "St Helens Well by the road to Ripon" as an example of a local holy well that did not appear in Hope's book "The Holy Wells of England ..etc". 
Checking the first edition OS map also showed the spring marked as St Helen's Well, located in a small enclosure by the road side.
The road from Copgrove to Ripon passes this spring so there is every possibility this is the St Helen's well referred to by Major.

Access - The spring is at the side of a grass field, by the roadside.
Condition - Good, but overgrown.

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