St. Oswald’s Well

Oswald was King of Northumbria from 634 until his death and is venerated as a saint. There was a particular cult in the Middle Ages dedicated to him. The historian Bede, writing a little less than a century after Oswald's death, regarded Oswald as a saintly king and it is from Bede that most of the present-day historical knowledge of Oswald is gathered. After eight years of rule, in which he was the most powerful ruler in Britain, Oswald was killed in the Battle of Maserfield while fighting the forces of Penda of Mercia, who was in turn defeated by Oswald's brother, Oswiu.

According to legend, after Oswald’s death, a great bird carried off his arm and dropped it at on the ground and a spring burst from the ground, creating what is now known as St Oswald’s Well, Oswestry.

Bede tells us that the spot where Oswald died became associated with miracles, and people took soil from the place, leading to a hole as deep as a man's height. Reginald of Durham tells of another another miracle, saying that his right arm was taken by a bird (some say a raven; some an eagle) to an ash tree, which gave the tree ageless health before dropping the arm and the appearance of the spring. Both the tree and the spring were, According to Reginald, both the tree and the spring were associated with healing miracles.

The name of the town, Oswestry- ‘Oswald’s Tree’- is generally thought to be derived from Oswald’s death there and the legends surrounding it. The well can now be found on Oswald’s Well Lane- but it is not the easiest place to find! Fortunately, the people of Oswestry are keen to point you in the right direction and the library staff are knowledgeable and very helpful!

As it was pouring with rain, we drove the short distance out of the town centre and suddenly came upon the site. We only spotted it because we were actively looking out for it as it is set back, down a short path- there are no helpful signs leading you to it, but the name of the road is a big clue! Looking up, you can see a sculpture of a great eagle with Oswald’s gauntlet, looking down over the well. This stands in the grounds of the school and with the rain, the falling leaves and the fence it was hard to get a good picture- see below!

St Oswald’s Well

St Oswald’s Lane

Oswestry

Shropshire

SY11 1RZ

You can read about Oswestry’s Brilliant Bookshop: booka here.