St. Govor’s Well

London Remembers records the fountain’s erection date as 1976 and reproduces an inscription saying that the site of an ancient spring was named Saint Govor’s Well in 1856 by the First Commissioner of Works, later Lord Llanover. The inscription describes Govor as a sixth-century hermit and patron saint of a church at Llanover. British Holy Wells gives a different account: it says Sir Benjamin Hall built the well in 1856, chose the saint because of his association with Llanover, and questions whether the site was spring-fed. That account also recounts Victorian claims about the water’s healing properties and contemporary concerns about its quality. The available sources do not settle the exact date or history of the present structure, so these accounts should not be treated as a single confirmed chronology.

Victorian reports described the water as having healing powers, including for “crippled limbs”. These were historical beliefs, not verified medical claims. Do not drink from the fountain unless current water safety is confirmed.