Holywell's holy well

The holy water well from which the village takes its name is located in front of St John The Baptist church, as you exit the building with the River Great Ouse ahead of you. It has been refurbished and repaired many times over the years. The "well" is in fact a stone structure built over a natural spring which emerges at this point. There are several other natural springs, or chalybeates, along Holywell Front; water seeps out under the gravel bank where it meets the underlying clay. A well dressing ceremony takes place each year in June, and children from the local primary school are involved in making floral garlands and decorations for the well.


The existence of a church on the site dates back further than reliable records exist, but there is a register of church rectors dating back to AD 990.