Wednesday 4 May 2011

Hob's Well

I was looking for something completely unrelated to sacred wells in the ‘Megalith Portal’ and I stumbled upon this.   ‘The site called Hobling Well may record a tradition of a well dedicated to fairies, Hob being another name for such elementals. The view is supported by a Robin Hole recorded on the Tithe Map of 1839 nearby. A small spring fills a pond not far off the footpath.http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=28679
 As Petts Wood, the area mentioned as possessing this well is a short bus ride from my home I decided to go and investigate. It was yet another sunny dry day, as the early Sunday morning sunshine reflected brightly on every tree, shrub and groundcover plant. The hawthorns are adorned in their white cloaks of blossom, and the cow parsley beneath their feet bubble forth flowers, which covers the fields in champagne bubbles.
  Hoblingwell wood is only a small section of the greater Petts Wood area, so shouldn’t be too difficult to find the Well. I started to climb a  hill that looked a good starting point, and before long the difficulty of locating the pool became less  as I had spotted the yellow flowers of buttercups, (little frogs) and as they love damp areas I thought maybe this was a good indication of water.. Incidentally, as I have mentioned buttercups, it is said that ‘Many old ladies made a bit of money by claiming to charm the cream or butter, knowing that the cows had been feeding on buttercups and would produce a good yellow colour.’ (Donald Law, The Concise Herbal Encyclopedia, 1973)
 I have roamed off the path as usual, so back I trot.  The ground was becoming very boggy, and considering everything here in London is bone dry due to the lack of rain, this must be an indicator that an underground spring was nearby.
 It does strike me as strange that when water springs (excuse the pun) from underground, it does so on the highest point in the area. No wonder tales of magic and mystery surround these places. I wasn’t mistaken, however the pool was covered in duckweed, not what I expected, yet looking at the water running down the hill, it must be fed from a water source underneath. Springs and wells hold a certain fascination for me, and it is not hard to feel the energy of a water supply that appears from nowhere, oh happy days.

PS if anyone knows the nature of a ‘Robin Hole’ can you please let me know. Thank you, Jane

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