Marsh-Mel-O's Adventures: UK Roadtrip Take Two

15th September

After waking and getting ready this morning, which took longer than expected as our stuff was already all over the house, we headed off into Colwyn Bay for an explore and some shopping before collecting Rachael from the train.

I was thoroughly impressed with us when we were outside the train station at 12.04 ready to collect her, only for me to hobble inside and realize she wasn't there. A quick search on google offline maps, and we realized that we were at the wrong train station! Who names two train stations the same name!? So shortly later we arrived at the other train station in Llandudno, 15 mins down the road and collected a waiting Rachael.

Once Rachael was safely on board we headed into Conwy to do some exploring through the town centre and have a spot of afternoon tea and cake. We visited the water front and the smallest house in Britain.

That afternoon we headed out to Holywell to visit St Winifred's Well. It was a decent drive down the main roads back the way we had come yesterday!

St Winefride's or Winifred's Well is a well located in Holywell, Flintshire, in Wales. It claims to be the oldest continually visited pilgrimage site in Great Britain, claiming pilgrimages begun in the 7th century, and is a grade I listed building. The healing waters of the well have been said to cause miraculous cures. The legend of Saint Winifred states that in AD 660, Caradoc, the son of a local prince, severed the head of the young Winifred after she spurned his advances. A spring rose from the ground at the spot where her head fell and she was later restored to life by her uncle, Saint Beuno. Richard I visited the site in 1189 to pray for the success of his crusade, and Henry V was said by Adam of Usk to have travelled there on foot from Shrewsbury in 1416. In the late 15th century, Lady Margaret Beaufort had built a chapel overlooking the well, which now opens onto a pool where visitors may bathe. James II is known to have visited the well with his wife Mary of Modena during 1686, after several failed attempts to produce an heir to the throne. Shortly after this visit, Mary became pregnant with a son, James. With all of this history, there was nothing to do but stick my broken foot into the water and see if it works myself! After sitting my feet in the freezing water, I wasn't sure if my foot felt better because of the healing powers or because it was so cold I couldn't feel it anymore! We will have to wait until I return to Australia to have it re-x-rayed too see if its worked!