struell wells

Struell wells are hauntingly located in a rocky valley between Downpatrick and Saul, and since medieval times and probably before, they have been the resort of pilgrims who came here in search of cures which they believed the waters from the wells could provide. The buildings are grouped in and around a roughly triangular grassed area, in the centre of which is a small structure known as the Eye Well. At the north-eastern end is a rectangular church building of c. 1750, but probably never completed. Beside it is the Drinking Well, from which the water flowed underground through the Eye Well to the two bath houses located at the south-eastern end of the complex. The smaller of the two was reserved for women, while the larger - barrel-vaulted and roofed with large stone slates - was the men's preserve.