St Cuthbert’s Cave is supposed to harness healing qualities. (Image: SWNS)
on the , St Cuthbert’s Cave – also known as Holywell Cave – is believed to hold “secret healing powers” that once drew pilgrims, the sick and the curious from far and wide.
Nestled in , the cave is a known for its multicoloured walls and sacred spring.
The cave’s spring water, said to have incredible healing properties, inspired the name of Holywell Bay.
Pilgrims and mothers with sick children would visit to drink from the “holy well,” leaving crutches behind as signs of their miraculous recoveries.
The mineral-rich water, which flows through the cave and onto the beach, is thought to derive its powers from deposits of limestone that create a high concentration of calcium.
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The spring water has been described as tasting a bit like cereal milk. (Image: SWNS)
The cave itself can be described as a masterpiece of natural architecture.
Rainwater, seeping through limestone in the cliffs above, turns into a weak carbonic acid that dissolves the rock.
The resulting calcium bicarbonate drips into the cave, creating shimmering basins of water in a vibrant grotto.
The spring water, which has been described as tasting like “cereal milk,” forms small pools before flowing out onto the beach.
What’s more, the cave can only be accessed at low tide from the north east end of the beach at Holywell Bay because the tide floods the cavern washing out the spring twice a day.
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The cave itself can be described as a masterpiece of natural architecture. (Image: SWNS)
The cave can only be accessed at low tide from the north east end of the beach at Holywell Bay. (Image: SWNS)
Once inside, small, slippery steps carved into the rock centuries ago still lead up into the cave.
While these steps are now eroded, they once guided countless visitors seeking healing or simply admiring the cave’s beauty.
Anyone who decides to visit will get to experience the kaleidoscopic red, green, and yellow tones of the cave walls, combined with its striking rock formations.
William Hals, writing in his History of Cornwall in the 17th century, said that the cave also has mystical allure.
He added that there were often summer crowds coming from distant counties to drink the spring’s “elixir of life”.
For safety, visitors are advised to access the cave at low tide, with a torch in hand.