All images and text are Copyright 2003 Terry Faull.

In looking for ancient holy wells in Tarka Country we can therefore seek dedications to Celtic Saints and to Anglo-Saxon or earlier place names which contain elements of the words for well, sacred or holiness. The evidence of place names needs to be treated with some caution but it can be a valuable tool in identifying places where there is a tradition of a holy well or spring. In Tarka Country there are no readily identifiable place names which have the Celtic words - fenton or venton for well or spring or use llan or eglos to describe a sacred place. . However the Anglo-Saxon words for these features- wella and halig occur in a number of place names and even as late as the time of Domesday Book AD 1086, there  were about 30 places listed  in Devon where the name was rooted in these words.

The reasons for the lack of pre- Anglo-Saxon well place names in Devon may be explained by the effective annexation of the area into an English country. However the influence of earlier Celtic Church inspired dedications, can be traced in a number of places in the county especially those closer to the boundary with Cornwall or where the Cornish church retained influence. We do therefore have some clues which enable us to link the holy wells with the early history of the area; what is remarkable is that the traditions associated with these places has continued and at times even flourished despite outright opposition from the church and authorities. It is only in our generation that many of these ancient sites have become neglected, forgotten or even destroyed.