MSO8012 - Agnes' Fountain, Allerford (Monument)

The fountain was constructed in 1820 and named after the youngest daughter of Sir Thomas Acland. It comprises a small spring with large stones placed irregularly around it. It has recently been described as a holy well and misnamed St Agnes' Fountain.

The 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map shows the site labelled as 'Agnes Fountain'. [1] St Agnes' Fountain, Selworthy, listed as a holy well. [2] St Agnes' Fountain is a small spring in Allerford Plantation. There is no structure but large stones have been placed irregularly around it. See GP AO/65/181/3 [5?]. [3] SS 90474737. Agnes Fountain. Believed to be medieval in date. Monument scheduled on 16 October 2002. [4] The Scheduled Monument Condition Assessment of 2009 gave the site a survival score of 0. [6] In 2002/3, the 'Holy Wells in Tarka Country' Project recorded Agnes Fountain as a 'holy well', which is generally described as 'a well or spring where there is a tradition of veneration or association with religious or magical experience'. National Trust archives detail the well being constructed in 1820 and the diary of the rector of Selworthy records in 1824 that the fountain was named after the youngest daughter of Sir Thomas Acland, who owned the Estate. Almost certainly the spring existed before it was named after this member of the Acland family and so perhaps should not be dismissed as an ancient site. [8] An old photograph shows a finger post at the fountain site. It names it 'Agnes Fountain'. [9] The site is named 'Agnes Fountain' on the 1962 Ordnance Survey map but changes to 'St Agnes Fountain' on the 1973-4 map. [10,11] The site was surveyed in June 2015 as part of the 2015 Exmoor Scheduled Monument Condition Assessment. It was given a survival score of 0. [12] [SS 90474738] Agnes Fountain (NAT). [13] "Agnes Fountain" is point located and labelled on 2020 MasterMap data. [14] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [15]