Sancreed - Sancreed Holy Well

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Sancreed - Lands End - Cornwall

Sancreed is in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty the village is on the Lands End Peninsula only a few miles from the great surf beach of Sennen on the north coast and the delightful coves of Lamorna and Porthcurno on the south coast. The bustling fishing ports of Penzance and Newlyn are a short drive away - making Sancreed an ideal spot to enjoy a tranquil holiday in beautiful countryside and also appreciate the benefits of the many galleries, restaurants and attractions of the nearby towns and villages.

Sancreed is a pretty Cornish village situated north of Penzance. The village nestles at the foot of the Beacon - an ancient viewing point. Within the parish there is the Holy well and Carn Euny: a well-known Iron Age settlement..

Sancreed Well

Sancreed Well is an ancient religious site in the village of Sancreed that predates Christianity. The significance of these water sources ( Madron Well is also near by) did not diminish once Christianity became a dominant religion in the area. This site maintained its importance in local rituals - both sacred and healing from the sites long association with pagan spirits to saints ( St Credan).

Sancreed Well, was for a time left forgotten - overgrown by thicket, until it was rediscovered by the vicar of Sancreed in the late C19th. A local woman, Juliette Shanks, devoted herself to its upkeep, earning a commemorative plaque. The well is located to the west of Sancreed Church, the water level is now below ground level and is accessed by descending several granite steps into a fern and moss lined cavern. As with the Rillaton Burrow near Minions on the edges of Bodmin moor, some of the moss in the cavern is phosphorescent. There are two paths to Sancreed Well, (Chapel Downs Well, the Crone Well) The iron railings are part of the landscaping work that was carried out in the late 19th century when the well and chapel were 'rediscovered' by the vicar of Sancreed.

The Newlyn artists, Stanhope and Elizabeth Forbes, Thomas Cooper Gotch and Flora Munnings (first wife of Alfred Munnings) are all buried in the graveyard of the beautiful 16th century village church.

Drift Reservoir just below the village is a bird reserve and fly-fishing lake. The parish of Sancreed is surrounded by land protected by the National Trust.