This particular well I came across completely by accident and funnily enough reminds me of a good friend who shares his name with the tale. I wanted to visit the well to to document it and to also share the site with this friend.
The Griffy Well is situated in lecistershire and is a natural spring. It was used up until the 1930s when mains water was supplied to the Griffydam.
The legend of the well tells of a mythical beast with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle that guarded the spring and prevented villagers from collecting the water.
Villagers were forced to walk several miles for their water until one day the beast was slain by a chivalrous knight.
Griffins have long been linked to water sources, its believed the well has it links to the Griffin as the water source stems from the griffydam. The name of the village of griffydam is thought to orginate from old norse ‘gryfja’ and means pit or hollow.
Although the well is no longer used, it can still be found along bottom road to this very day. Sadly, I didn’t come across the Griffin!
