Traditions and Hearthside Stories of West Cornwall, Second SeriesBottrell, William
General
Traditions and Hearthside Stories of West Cornwall, Second Series
Bottrell, William
Cornwall (England : County) -- Social life and customs; Legends -- England -- Cornwall (County)
THOUGH the numerous visitors who resort to Penzance
in autumn are rarely satiated with our fine cliff
scenery, they might, with pleasure, vary their excursions
by a ramble inland, where various objects
of interest are found on moorlands and hills, but
seldom visited.
A pleasant day, for example, might be passed by first going
to Sancreed; where, in the quiet, neat, little, embowerd Church
some curiously carved portions of an ancient rood-screen are
worthy of notice. In the churchyard there is one of the finest
crosses in the county; it is about eight feet high and ornamented
with various emblematic devices, among others, the lilly of the
Blessed Virgin. The old Inn, with its quaint sign "The Bird in
Hand," suggestive of ready payment, was worthy of a glance, a
few years ago, when some nondescript fowl of the air, trying to
escape from a hand that grasped its legs, was pourtrayed on the
sign-board in flaming colours by a local artist, and, underneath
the captive bird, were the lines,—
"A bird in hand is better fare
Than two that in the bushes are."
From the south-eastern side of "Sancras Bickan" (Beacon) a
delightful view of Mount's Bay is obtained, and on Caer Brane—commonly
called Brane Rings—the next hill towards the west,
may be seen the remains of an old and extensive hill-castle.
[200]
Hence, one might descend to the famous Chapel Uny Well,
situated between Chapel Carn Brea and Bartine hills; the one
crowned with its ruined chapel and the other with a castle. At
Chapel Uny will be found a copious spring of as clear water as
was ever seen. The only remains that can be identified, as
having belonged to its ancient chapel, are a few dressed stones
near the well. These, from their shape, would seem to have
formed part of an arched door or window.
Near by there is also a large circular Fogou, or artificial cavern,
walled on both sides and partly covered with long slabs of moor-stone.
The Holy Well is, however, the most celebrated object
in this vicinity; a few years ago, it was resorted to on the first
three Wednesdays in May by scores of persons who had great
faith in the virtue of its waters, which were considered very
efficacious for curing most diseases incidental to childhood, and
many ricketty babes are still bathed there at the stated times
when the spring is believed to possess the most healing powers.
Belonging to this well and its neighbourhood there is a somewhat
curious story, which we will relate just as it has often been
told us by old people of the West Country.
The Changeling of Brea Vean.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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