in the text. The A5026 now bypasses the High St - nice for the High St shoppers, but means that the
well to which the town owes its existence is now cut off from it. To reach
the well, go to the NW end of the High St and turn R over the main
rd/bypass and down Well St. This leads firstly to the church of St James (CPAT - early medieval origin, medieval tower, unique situation!), and then to
the chapel (CADW).
You must turn R on the B5121 and a bit further down the hill to reach the
entrance to the well/shrine/exhibition. There is a nominal entry charge, waived
for the truly indigent! The pilgrims' hostel is on the B5121 between town
and well. The well of St Beuno is on the top of the hill on the other side
of the road; if you can find it, you're cleverer than I am.
Holywell today bills itself as the 'Lourdes of Wales', but it bears little resemblance to Lourdes, apart from being an active shrine. Except on a couple of occasions a year, it attracts nothing like the crowds of visitors that Lourdes does. The well buildings are though very attractively set and well worth visiting even if you're not interested in shrines.
Holywell is no longer on a railway line, but there is a good bus service from Chester/Flint, or from Rhyl/Prestatyn, all of which have a railway station. If you don't want to start at Holywell, this website suggests three alternative starting points: Chester,
Shrewsbury, or the ruins of the Cistercian abbey at Basingwerk, now in the hands of CADW and on the coastal road downhill from Holywell. For many years, the well at Holywell belonged to this monastery, and the crowds of pilgrims brought considerable wealth to it. The Holywell buses mentioned above also go via Basingwerk. The ruins are freely accessible, and there is a visitor centre. Holywell is easy to get to from here: join the former railway line, now a pleasant wooded path which climbs up to the town. The path does not, however, go to the well; to reach this, you must turn R to the B-road at 187764 and then up the hill to the well (2km).