Legend whispers of St Margaret’s Well Stone. Its age echoes through centuries. This unassuming stone marks a sacred spring. It’s a site steeped in history and miracle.
St Margaret’s Well Stone sits beside St Margaret of Antioch Church in Binsey. This tiny hamlet rests northwest of Oxford’s Port Meadow. Thousands annually make pilgrimages here. They seek the well’s reputed healing powers. The well’s name is a bit of a misnomer. Its true story centers on another saint.
The legend unfolds around St Frideswide. Oxford’s patron saint she was. Born in the 7th century she founded a monastery in Oxford. She rejected the advances of a Mercian prince named Algar. He pursued her relentlessly. Frideswide fled to Binsey’s marshy lands. Algar tracked her down.
As he set eyes on her lightning struck him and his men blind. Frideswide forgave Algar. She prayed for their sight’s return. A spring miraculously appeared at her feet. Its waters healed Algar and his men.
This spring became St Margaret’s Well. It gained fame for its healing abilities. The church was once adorned with crutches. These belonged to those healed by the well’s miraculous water. The well helped those with eye problems and emotional distress.
The tale also speaks of the Curse of St Frideswide. Kings who visited Oxford with violent intentions met untimely ends. This curse allegedly claimed Harold I and Harold II. Even Charles I may have fallen victim to it. Edward I however wisely avoided the city.
Despite its medieval reputation the belief in St Margaret’s Well’s healing powers endured. Lewis Carroll drew inspiration from it for Alice in Wonderland’s Treacle Well. Treacle back then meant a healing fluid. The well endures as a testament to faith hope and healing. It continues to fascinate and inspire. It stands as a link to Oxford’s rich and mystical past. It invites us to pause and reflect on the enduring power of legend.