Wells have been used by the native people of these islands for thousands of years and many are dedicated to the once Irish Goddess Bride or the now Christianised, St Bridget. They have been used for a myriad of reasons, although many would visit Bride's sacred wells for a specific purpose; that of fertility.
As late as 1860, it was recorded that a group of women were seen dancing around St Bridget's well in Grampian, Scotland, whilst an old crone stood in the centre and sprinkled the dancers with water with which to sweep away their bareness. Another story from the same well tells of brides visiting the well the day before their wedding to ensure they would be fertile and bare children.
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