St Levan's Chapel and Well

St Levan's chapel was built on platforms cut into the cliff face and could date as far back as the 8th Century, making it one of the oldest, if not the oldest Christian building in Cornwall. It's likely that the spring forming the Holy Well predates the chapel and could have been a sacred spring in pre-Christian times. In the 18th Century, the well building still had a roof but little remained by the end of the 20th Century; the walls were partially reconstructed in 2003. Water from the well is still used for baptisms at Levan's Church. The Holy Water was thought to be a cure for toothache and eye diseases, and sleeping the night by the well was said to increase its powers. Perhaps during a freezing night in a howling gale on a cliff edge, the toothache seemed a less pressing concern!