We are hosting the annual Well Dressing Ceremony at St Cleer Holy Well and Cross next week, and warmly invite you all to come along.
Taking place on Friday 3rd May from 10.15am – 11.15am, the event is open to the general public. It will involve the children from St Cleer Primary School, Liskeard Old Cornwall Society and the local community.
The blessing of the well will take place in Cornish and English, with short prayers by the local Curate and singing. Cornish dancing will also take place.
This year’s event is particularly significant as it will celebrate the site’s removal from the Heritage at Risk Register in November 2023.
Cornwall Heritage Trust CEO, Cathy Woolcock said: “We are absolutely thrilled that our interventions have saved St Cleer Holy Well and Cross from the Heritage at Risk Register, and the Well Dressing Ceremony is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate with the local community. We hope as many people as possible can come along!”
Thought to date from the late 15th or early 16th century, St Cleer Holy Well is a Scheduled Monument and also Listed Grade One – a demarcation earned by only 2.5% of listed buildings and marking it out as nationally important.
The Well Dressing Ceremony at St Cleer was hosted for a number of years by Liskeard Old Cornwall Society and was reinstated by Cornwall Heritage Trust last year following our acquisition of the site. Liskeard Old Cornwall Society remains closely involved with the event.
Brian Oldham, President of Liskeard Old Cornwall Society said: “We are delighted to have been invited by Cornwall Heritage Trust to be involved in the St Cleer Holy Well Dressing Ceremony once again this year. Old Cornwall Societies are very active in keeping alive traditional events such as this one, others include Crying the Neck and the Midsummer Bonfire. This event in St Cleer is particularly important as, by involving them in the procession and in Cornish Dance, it gives the children of St Cleer the opportunity to learn about one small aspect of our heritage. It may encourage some of them learn more about the history of their lovely village and Cornwall!”
As part of the proceedings, posies of flowers will be laid at the monument by the children from St Cleer Primary School. If you would like to donate a posy, please drop it to the school on the morning of the event.