Anyone who is familiar with Rubery will know of Holywell Primary and Nursery School and also Holywell lane but why are they so called and is there a Holy Well?

Well there is, and not surprisingly it can be found just south of Holywell Lane at the north end of Broadmoor Wood.

This is a chalybeate spring. The word “chalybeate” is derived from the Latin word for steel, “chalybs”, which follows from the Greek word khalups.
Khalups is the singular form of Khalubes or Chalybes, who were mythical people living on Mount Ida in north Asia Minor who had invented iron working.
These springs were rich in minerals and particularly iron which often gave the waters a reddish hue.

Such springs were often considered as magical or sacred from the earliest times and taken over as Holy Wells after the advent of Christianity. They may have been used for baptisms and it was believed that the waters had healing powers.

The Holy Well has also been dubbed St Chad’s Well, the Apostle of the Midlands who has had many places associated with him, this one because he allegedly stopped to rest there whilst on his travels.

Here are a few well known places that also have chalybeate wells:
Bermondsey Spa, Cheltenham Spa, The Gloucester Spa, Tunbridge Wells and Llandrindod Wells.

Rubery Spa or Rubery Wells anyone?

In the picture: Rubery’s Holy Well