St Anne in the Wood

Project Coordinator: Ken Taylor

The neighbourhood of St Anne's, Brislington, Bristol, is named after the saint whose medieval chapel was a pilgrimage site that attracted the attention of King Henry VII, the first Tudor monarch, who visited shortly after winning the Wars of the Roses. The holy well of St Anne in St Anne's Wood, is still a focus of devotion — for Christians and pagans alike, each of whom exercise a claim on the site.

Documentary evidence for the Chapel of St Anne in the Wood dates to the early 14th century, but the first written mention of the well appears to be in a book by a Swindon newspaper owner, William Morris: "Swindon Fifty Years Ago" published in 1885.

The best clue that the well was connected with the medieval pilgrimage to the chapel, comes from coins and tokens said to have been found in 1878 when the well was cleaned (Western Daily Press, 20 June 1890). The dating evidence is offered by coins of the reigns of Edward IV (1461–1470) and Henry VII (1485–1509), pictures of which were published by Charles Bishop in 1891 ("St Anne's Ferry and Paths Through St Anne's Wood Brislington").

King Henry VII visited the site on pilgrimage in 1486; and his son Henry VIII was responsible for the dissolution of the monasteries, including Keynsham Abbey in 1539, which saw the chapel pass into secular hands. What became of the well is uncertain, but it was in a "neglected condition" when it was cleaned in 1878 (the spring that feeds the well was discovered to lie some twenty feet (6m) below ground level).

There are many strands of investigation to this important site, not least of which are:

to examine the area for traces of archaeology relating to the medieval chapel
to explore the pilgrims' routes to the chapel
to clarify the route between the chapel and Keynsham Abbey (its 'mother' church)
and to investigate what inspired the perception of sanctity at this particular site (whether Christian or otherwise).

If you have any information to contribute about the history of this site, including old photographs, memorabilia, and memories, etc, or are interested in helping find out more about this site, please contact the project coordinator, above.

Credits
Line drawing — St Anne's chapel in 1880 (by Samuel Loxton from a sketch made by Father Grant, published in the "The Bristol & District Footpath Preservation Society" Report of 1891, and reproduced by kind permission of Bristol Reference Library).
1st photo — St Anne's Well in 1991, with canopy after the style of the 1920s (© Joules Taylor 1991).
2nd photo — St Anne's Well in 2007 (the 1920s structure had been demolished, was replaced in 1996, and demolished again) (© Ken Taylor 2007).

Text — Ken Taylor (updated 07.12.2011)

Chapel of St Anne in the Wood in 1880. (C) Father Grant 1880. St Anne's Well in 1991. (C) Joules Taylor 1991. St Anne's Well in 2007. (C) Ken Taylor 2007.