A while ago I wrote about the Fiddler's Well at Bethesda, Gwynedd, linked in stories with a local harpist and fiddler. Today I found Ffynnon y Crwthwr - crwth being an old style of fiddle - near Caerwys, Flints. Intrigued now in these links between wells & musicians wellhopper.wales/2023/05/27/f...

Great article today about the increasing plight of isolated historic churches and the wonderful work that can be done, @friendlesschurches.bsky.social have thrown an important lifeline to many churches across N Wales, but sadly many others will quietly slip away. www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

When even The Guardian mixes up 'have' and 'of' then all hope is lost

My favourite film of all time! So rare it gets a cinema airing these days.

In more "archaeology isn't political" news... 🤬 BBC News - Reform UK will tell Welsh museums how to present history, manifesto says www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... #Archaeology 🏺

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sorting through boxes of old photos this afternoon & found this fabulous picture of my mother, grandmother, great grandmother and great great grandmother. The eldest - Rebecca - was born in 1841.

Pasg Hapus 🐰 "I recall the inhabitants of Llangollen, Denbighshire, ascending Dinas Bran on Easter Day to greet the rising of the sun with three somersaults." An account of Easter Sunrise from Rev. John Williams of Glanmor ⛪ hellohistoria.substack.com/p/nothing-sh... #Wales #History

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According to a Flemish folktale, the murderer of a woman was doomed to appear as a ghost dog after he died. It's said his eyes looked like lanterns. The dog jumped on people and forced them to carry him to the place where he had committed the crime. 🎨Dillon Samuelson #PhantomsFriday

Historic records suggest there was a Ffynnon Fair, St Mary's Well at Nannerch, Flints, associated with the parish church dedicated to Mary. The location of the well seems to be lost - but Ffynnon Sarah is a strong spring, connected by footpath to the church. Surely a candidate for the lost Ff Fair

First hedgehog of the year caught snooping around the garden last night

Loving working to the sound of Claudia Barton's stunning new album about the symbiotic relationship between the cinnabar moth & ragwort. "Tincture of ragwort is effective against conspiracy theories Rumours & rheumatism!" Shame about the horses though claudiabartonmusic.bandcamp.com/album/stamme...

Delighted to see the resuscitation of the Gothic Society - a truly memorable group of which I was a member for almost all of its life. I'm sure in its new on-line guise it can make many new friends. gothrevisit.uk/about-this-r...

Delighted to see the resuscitation of the Gothic Society - a truly memorable group of which I was a member for almost all of its life. I'm sure in its new on-line guise it can make many new friends. gothrevisit.uk/about-this-r...

Walking the route of the old railway track that ran to Holywell, Flintshire. This is the location of At Winefride's Halt - the station that served the well

I'm sometimes amazed that it's 10 years now since I stopped writing my Gothic Heroine blog. I still think that one day I should go back to it but how did I ever have the time. Just rereading the Christmas 2011 book recommendations! wp.me/p1Zf8W-1f

The Millennium Cross on the site of the old Capel St Ffraid - Trearddur Bay. St Brigid's Cross at its centre. Sunny but wild with storm Bram this afternoon.

Strange times - I don't ever remember seeing this rhododendron flowering in December before. West Cheshire.

Escaping a cold house to the glorious warm quite of Gladstone's Library, Hawarden to write up my talk on the wells of Ynys Cybi today.

Preparing to talk about about the traditions of the wells of Ynys Cybi / Holy Island in Holyhead next month

Samhain blessings to you all ✨🖤✨ #Samhain #Halloween #Witchsky #Pagan #animism penelopetrappes.bandcamp.com/album/ternum

A little medieval character I found lurking in St Mary's church Nercwys yesterday

Visiting the fascinating colourful Hundertwasser Haus in Vienna this afternoon

Just picked up a copy of Alice Vernon's Ghosted for my weekend reading. Dark nights and autumn coming on quickly now.

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Call them corpse roads, coffin lanes, funeral walks. Call them procession paths, lych lines, wraith ways. Just as long as you remember they are the arterial routes of the dead. The long cicatrix of grief carved into the land. – Dr. Michael Benn, 1981

At the Silver Well, a petrifying well, in West Cheshire this morning

Gorgeous morning walking along the River Weaver in West Cheshire this morning in search of the Silver Well, a petrifying well near Kingsley.

Malbury parish council has a budget for padlocks for St. Edwold's holy well. They've decided people immersing themselves for reasons of healing or wild baptism is too dangerous to be permitted. Such is the strength of folklore they have to replace a lock every couple of days. #FolkloreThursday

Today is the feast day of Christina the Astonishing. During her funeral she levitated through the church. The priest ordered her to come down. She explained that she had been to heaven, purgatory, and hell. She continued to live many years and avoided people as she could smell their sins.

Ffynnon Gorad This well lies on the Anglesey Coastal Path to the north of Valley. Local belief is that it was once associated with a local small monastic settlement connected to the monastery at Holyhead. More recently it was been used as a local water supply.

Ffynnon Sadwrn / Ddu (both have been used) is close to St Mary's Church Llanfair PG Anglesey. Once a copious spring feeding a duck pond, it was destroyed in the 1840s during the building of the new railway. now only a small stone chamber covered by a grill remains, though water still flows.

At the beautiful St Peulan's church Llanbeulan this afternoon with @friendlesschurches.bsky.social and @angleseyhistory.bsky.social

"of natural springs there were none...but wells had been sunk. Their waters were clear & cool enough, but one never knew to what purpose these wells were sometimes put. They were deep & had the merit of keeping their own secrets. Rev T J Jones in John Ellis History of Abergele. 1948

Had a great evening on Thursday looking at the fantastic work @friendlesschurches.bsky.social have done restoring St Doged's church at Llanddoged. Fascinating C19 update to a medieval church. Also took the chance to revisit the well Ffynnon Ddoged. wellhopper.wales/2025/05/02/f...

A short blog post on Ffynnon Ddoged - Saint Doged's well, following on from my visit to Llanddoged yesterday. wellhopper.wales/2025/05/02/f...

Ffynnon Ddoged, St Doged's well at Llanddoged, Conwy. Subject of a late 15th century ode claiming the well had healing powers but now covered by stone and locked tight shut

Looking forward to visiting Llanddoged tomorrow. A few years since I was last there to find the once curative well Ffynnon Ddoged, now lost under brick and concrete

Latest copy of @helleborezine.bsky.social journal arrived this morning. Always a joy to receive it. That's Saturday morning sorted

Very much looking forward to seeing & hearing Penelope Trappes tonight

A trip down to the Llandudno copper mines gave an unexpected treat that had this folklorist doing a little dance of excitement

A selection of Late Bronze Age swords on display in the National Museum of Ireland. The impressive sword in the centre was found in the River Inny, Westmeath. It dates to c.900-700 BC. The length and leaf shaped blade hint that it was possibly designed to be used by a warrior mounted on horseback.

For more information about the free talk at St Doged’s, Llanddoged, please follow the link below: friendsoffriendlesschurches.org.uk/event/the-fu...

Aquilegia, also known as columbine, granny’s bonnet, or doves-at-the-fountain, was in ancient times called ‘Herb Leonis’, and said to be a favourite of lions. Folklore claimed its juice, rubbed on the hands, would empower a person with the courage of a lion! #folklore #flowers

Sul y Blodau or Flowering Sunday (Palm Sunday) before Easter, it was traditional (and still is) in Wales to clean the graves of deceased loved ones and then decorate them with flowers. My late nain would visit my taid's grave to wash his gravestone before placing flowers on it. #LegendaryWednesday

Visiting St Faglan's church Llanfaglan Caernarfon. One of the gems and my favourite of the Friends of Friendless Churches holdings. #FoFC

Walking round Llanbeblig church Caernarfon this morning. Seeing the sorry overgrown state of the churchyard

At Ffynnon y Wrach - the witch's well - this morning for an Open Doors event. Looking forward to discussing the history of the well

St Patrick's cave and well, Ffynnon ac Ogof Badrig. Llanbadrig, Ynys Mon.