Sacred Well: OS Grid Reference – TL 467 356
Archaeology & History
Located in the copse known as Godwell’s Grove on the western boundary of Arkesden, there are good grounds for thinking this was a sacred well: not necessarily relating to the christian God, but what A.H. Smith (1956) described simply as, from the old English, “a (heathen) god.” Another site of the same name is found in Wiltshire. In the local survey by Parish (2010), he told that “its name suggests it is a holy well.”
In Reaney’s (1976) survey on English place-names, he looks at a number of places where the element “god” is found and explores the notion of them recording a personal name, Gode. This is evident of course, but he stated that,
“it would indeed be a remarkable coincidence if all these names…were to contain the personal-name Gode, a short form of Godric, Godwine, etc. It in inconceivable that the reference should be to the christian deity… All are situated in areas of early settlement where heathen place-names might be expected and may well contain OE god, ‘a god’.”
There is no longer any trace of the well.
References:
- Parish, R.B., Holy Wells and Healing Springs of Essex, Pixyled Press: Nottingham 2010.
- Reaney, P.H., The Place-Names of Essex, Cambridge University Press 1935.
- Reaney, P.H., The Origin of English Place-Names, RKP: London 1976.
- Smith, A.H., English Place-Name Elements – volume 1, Cambridge University Press 1956.
© Paul Bennett, The Northern Antiquarian
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