The Lady Well at Speen

Image: © Oscar Taylor Taken: 15 Apr 2023

The Lady Well at Speen, a rather ancient source of water which according to local legend has healing properties, especially for ailments of the eyes. The well is also known as The Ladywell, Our Lady's Well, and St Mary's Well (after St Mary's Church Image] down the byway south). The stone structure seen today is a creation from 1902, when it was last restored, which one can just about read from the inscription in the top stone: "YE ANCIENT LADYE WELL. RESTORED 1902". The origin of the well is unclear - likely to have been a holy place prior to the Romans came to Speen - but the first mention of the well is in 1783, in the book "Collections towards a parochial history of Berkshire", where the echo above the well was noted. Apparently one can hear a five syllable word as clearly from the echo as you can from the person who spoke it. It is still used today as a place of quiet reflection and people leave tributes at the well, or make a wish by tying ribbons to a nearby tree. The laminated paper to the right is an excerpt from "Mr Bayley's as yet unpublished book" (as of 1999, though doesn't appear to have been published in the 24 years since) Holy, Healing and Ancient Wells in the Thames Valley, which gives a little history of the well.

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