Every place, however tiny, had to have water. Early Cornwall had hundreds (600) of such places and a good number of them (200?) had their holy well. The waters os such wells were often used for baptisms and also for immersion and drinking for healing. Blessing the waters was no idle ceremony. To bless the waters was therefore the task of every early evangelist.
The northern coast has many a place for a hermit to dwell. He or she also needed water and a well or a stream of some sort. St Gennys the place is just inside Cornwall situated high on cliffs with superb views over the sea. There is one holy well behind the church, another at the front.
St Gennys takes its name either from an otherwise unknown saint; others believe the proper name is St Gennesius. There is a fourth century martyr in Gaul called by that name.
