St Garmon’s Well
Ffynnon Armon at Capel Garmon, near Llanrwst, is one of the six Welsh wells identified by Jones dedicated to Saint Garmon. The origins of Garmon have already been discussed in the earlier post on Llanarmon-yn-Ial.
Ffynnon Armon is to be found on a flat hill top overlooking the small village of Capel Garmon, about 500 yards to the north east of the church. Water emerges from the hillside in a stone lined spout, and spreads out into a small muddy pool before flowing down the hillside in a sequence of waterfalls, and forming a strong flowing stream at the foot of the hill.
The Royal Commission visit in 1912 stated that the well was channelled in a basin of rough masonry, approximately 18ft by 24ft. Although there was some loose stone around, there was little sign of this area of stonework if, as the description implies, this was at the water source. There were a couple of locations we identified down stream of the spring where this might have been, but in all events it is clear that any stonework other than that which surrounds the water source has been removed.
The existing church in Capel Garmon is a mid Victorian building dating from 1863. This building, like the pub which stands next to it, is now no longer used. Capel Garmon was traditionally a chapel of ease for Llanrwst parish, the church occupying the site of former chapels dedicated to St Germanus , the building described by Lewis in 1849 was built in 1789, itself on the site of an earlier building. This earliest building is the subject of a common legend which states
“The tradition is that Capel Garmon Church was to have been built on the side of the mountain just above the present village, near the Well now called Ffynnon Armon, but the materials carried there in the daytime were in a mysterious manner conveyed by night to the present site of the church.”
Well Hopper 