Medieval holy well.
The Ordnance Survey First Edition 1:2500 map of 1868 records 'Site of Chapel & Burial Ground' without a marker denoting the location; the wording is centred at SC20867093. The same survey shows a well in the next field, lying a little to the north of the hedge, and north-west of the keeill and burial ground.
The Manx Archaeological Survey (1968) notes that the well had long been a place of resort for the 'cure' of various ills. It had acquired a number of popular names, most commonly Chibbyr Beltain, but also the Rag Well and the Fairy Well. It now forms a wet patch at the edge of the field.
Chibbyr Breeshey or Chibbyr Vreeshey has been described as 'a Well dedicated to St Bridget... still known to the natives, but not so far as we can learn now visited'. The site is now within an area of marsh.
Chibbyr Drine or Thorntree Well is a famous well, visited for medicinal aid according to Feltham (1798). Kermode located it to the east of the Rifle Range (SC 28576692). It is described as a small clear spring 0.3 metres across set in marshy ground with no trace of stonework. A band of seaweed immediately east of the spring shows that it is constantly covered by the sea.
Medieval holy well.
The Ordnance Survey 1:2500 First Edition mapping of 1867 shows the location of a chapel and burial ground at this location, formerly on Colby farm, together with the annotation, 'Site of St Nicholas' Chapel & Burial Ground', but makes no reference to a well or spring at the site.
The Manx Archaeological Survey (1915) only briefly describes the site, implying that neither the chapel nor the burial ground were visible, but notes the nearby presence to the south of Chibbyr Niglus (St Nicholas' Well) which was filled in 'having been desecrated by bloodshed'.
A Royal Commission field inspector was unable to locate the well on a subsequent visit in 1976. In the absence of an obvious site in the vicinity indicated by the Survey, LS Garrad (Manx Museum 1964-96) speculated that it might be that recorded at SC4428383932 in OS Field no. 1897 to the east of the site; this is shown on the OS map of 1867 with a path leading to it, which would appear unlikely given the tradition surrounding it.
Chibbyr ny Fainaghyn was known as a healing well, the waters used for curing warts. It is located 180 metres west-southwest of Stockfield House. An owner of Skerestel Beg had lived in the area for approximately 60 years but knew nothing about the well. The present owner of Stockfield has occupied the farm for 7 years and also knew nothing about the well, but believed there was a spring at about the presumed location of the well. It is possible that the spring and well were located at the source of a minor stream at SC 30128687. The stream source has been drained and the stream now issues from the field bank 75 metres to the northeast. Springs and wells are synonymous terms on the Isle of Man.
The site is described as lying "about 300 yards North-East of the 'Neolithic Village' near the Mull Circle" (Gill, 1929, A Manx Scrapbook). Gill's Second Scrapbook has an erratum for the first book that includes a correction to the directions stating that it should be South-East, not North-East.
A spring is marked on the Ordnance Survey First Edition 1:2500 map at the grid reference recorded. There appear, however, to be a number of other candidate sites for this feature, at SC19186801 (a well marked amongst farm buildings on the same map), and at SC19226790 (a natural spring marked on modern IoM Government cartography).
