St Piran’s Well, Perranarworthal
Tucked away in a little dell in Perranarworthal, midway between Truro and Falmouth, St Piran’s Well is a delight. Lush, surrounded by ferns and prehistoric looking Gunnera plants it is a shady, secluded spot.
Wells like this have been sacred places since the earliest times and it is very likely that this spring was an important place even before the arrival of Christianity.
The Well’s actual connection with the patron saint of Cornwall is also unclear. Saint Piran arrived in Cornwall around 460AD, legend has it, floating on a millstone. He was supposed to have performed various miracles and showed the Cornish how to mine tin. He has since given his name to several Cornish villages including Perranzabuloe, Perranuthnoe, Perranporth and Perranwell. Thomas Tonkin, the 17th historian, noted that St Agnes landed at ‘St Piran Arworthall’ on her return from Rome. But how the saint’s name became connected to the ancient manor of Arworthal is a bit of a mystery. Certainly he could have sailed there as at the time the estuary and river was far deeper than it is now and it was a busy inland port.
The water from St Piran’s Well was once prized for its medicinal qualities. A small plaque, which was attached to the granite wall of the well to mark the Millennium, states that the water is rich in iron salts. It is thought to be particularly good for returning health to ‘sickly children’.
To find the well, leave St Piran’s Church in Perranarworthal and walk towards the Cricket Ground. On the left you will see an ancient wooden turnstile (pictured, with my large hound leading the way) which takes you down a narrow path to the main road and eventually The Norway Inn on Truro/Falmouth road. Midway down there is a sign for the well, which takes you through some soul’s garden, but there you will find it, surrounded by greenery and brimming with the sweetest water in the land.
