St Winefride’s Holy Well
The legend of St Winefride tells how in 660AD, an enraged local chieftain severed the head of the young Winefride after she spurned his advances, how a spring rose from the ground at the spot where her head fell and how she was later restored to life by her uncle, St Beuno.
The spring became renowned for its healing powers and throughout the centuries and even until today, pilgrims travel here in their thousands from all over the world to bathe in its waters and worship at its shrine that has become known as the Lourdes of Wales.
Basingwerk Abbey
The imposing ruins of Basingwerk Abbey, founded in 1132, was for 400 years home and workplace to the monks of the Cistercian Order until they were driven out by Henry VIII’s Dissolution Act in 1536.
During the middle ages, a thriving economic and artistic community developed around the abbey and it became the home of many Welsh poets.
The monks were the first to harness the power of the Holywell Stream, using its power to grind corn and treat the wool from their flocks of sheep.
Greenfield Valley Heritage Park
Greenfield Valley Heritage & Country Park is a 1½ mile-long linear park following the course of the Holywell Stream between the town and the estuary of the River Dee, and through which the most steeply graded conventional standard gauge railway in the UK once ran.
Here, in addition to St Winefride’s Holy Well and 12th-century Basingwerk Abbey, lie the remains of a number of historic mill buildings, many of which are by now scheduled ancient monuments.
More recently, cottages, farmhouses, and even a Victorian school have been moved here stone by stone from other locations and carefully reconstructed and furnished as they might have been in centuries gone by. The park also boasts a farm museum.
Visitors can also enjoy a number of meandering woodland walks.
01352 714172
Holywell Area Community Museum
Holywell Area Community Museum is located in the former Kings Head Public House building which can be found at the top of Holywell High Street and is dedicated to all aspects of the history of Holywell and the surrounding areas.
The museum is a not-for-profit organisation, which relies entirely on donations and grants. It is staffed by volunteers who are more than happy to guide you around.
One of our rooms is Point of Ayr Community Heritage (POACH) who have a permanent exhibition dedicated to the history of the Point of Ayr colliery which closed in 1996.
The display is being continually added to and many days a former coal mine can bring history to life by recounting tales of the pit.
Kings Head, High Street Holywell CH8 7TN
01352 217170