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>Subject: Winchester Cathedral well > >In John Crook's 'The Architectural Setting of the Cult of Saints in the >Early Christian West c.300-c.1200' (OUP, Oxford, 2000), p. 228, is a >cross-section diagram showing the (shaft) well beneath Winchester Cathedral. >The high altar is almost directly above the well, and both relate to the >'holy hole' into which pilgrims could crawl to experience the vibes from the >relics installed behind the high altar. This arrangement seems to date >(according to Crook) from the 1150s. > >Christine B. > > > The well is still there,. and can be visited, but just a caveat for anyone who wants to do so. The well itself can only be visited on the crypt tour, and these are limited as to numbers, stop early and more importantly don't run except in dry weather. The cathedral itself is beautiful, but if you're making a special journey it's worth calling the Dean and Chapter first, or, if you're passing, check at the door before paying. Then book your tour as soon as you get in. One problem with checking is that the famous statue 'Spirit' can be seen through the gate even when the crypt is flooded, and few of the staff understand that someone might want to make a trip to see what is in the context a fairly nondescript well, so make that clear. I wanted to take my wife to see it: we only live down the road and it took almost two years before we actually managed the visit. Andy Anderson