IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Marshalls Court, NEWBURY, RG14 1RY

A lane between Bath Road (the A4) and the Old Bath Road in Speen/the edge of Newbury.

Lambourn Valley Way is a recreational route with 20 miles of footpaths from Whitehorse Hill Image] near Uffington in Oxfordshire to Newbury in Berkshire, connecting the Ridgeway with the Kennet valley. Here the route takes a byway south of Speen, off Speen Lane. It leads to the lychgate of St Mary's Church.

Linden Cottage and East Cottage are two houses on Speen Lane in Speen, originally Speen Farmhouse. The house dated from the 17th or 18th century, with 20th century additions. The building is Grade II listed, list entry number 1220743 https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1220743

A 17th or 18th century granary which did serve Speen Farm, now just in the suburbs of Speen. It is a Grade II listed building, list entry number 1220788 https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1220788

A local tradition has it that the waters of the well can cure eye diseases.

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 The laminated paper to the right is an excerpt from "Mr Bayley's as yet unpublished book" (as of 1999, though doesn't appear to have been published in the 24 years since) Holy, Healing and Ancient Wells in the Thames Valley, which gives a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.

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.

Little painted rocks and other precious things that people have offered at the Lady Well at Speen Image

A wishing tree with ribbons tied to the branches by the Lady Well at Speen Image