Down the tombstone trail from the steps of Liverpool Cathedral and beyond a lush, tree-lined path, there lies a mysterious spring once thought to possess magical healing properties. Shadowed by the looming cathedral, the Chalybeate Spring in St James’ Gardens has been the source of various myths and superstitions since its discovery more than 250 years ago.
The Chalybeate Spring in St James’ cemetery was discovered in 1773 by a group of workers on the eastern side of what used to be a working quarry.
Due to the notoriety of St James’ Cemetery as one of the most haunted sites in the UK, many myths swirled around the spring’s flowing waters – that it was a miracle cure, or that it was bewitched by the angry ghosts of the graveyard.
Legend says that water syphoned from the spring turns black when boiled, and while the source of this superstition remains unknown, it has been suggested that the dark spirits of the cemetery have coloured the water with their lingering malice. This is, of course, nonsense, as the water boils clear as you would expect.
This is good news for fans of the spring, who regularly descend the tombstone trail from the Cathedral to fill up bottles and containers. Habitually drinking murky, potentially ghost-infested water would probably result in some sickness of the body, if not the immortal soul.
The Chalybeate Spring at St James Gardens, behind the Anglican Cathedral
The reason for choosing the spring over regular tap water was a simple one for the people queuing up for their turn on a sunny Wednesday afternoon. They said it tasted better – though its historic reputation as a source of healing may also provide a point of significant attraction.
When the spring was first discovered in 1773, local surgeon James Worthington authored a report on the possible medicinal benefits of the water, which he said was good for the treatment of “loss of appetite, nervous disorders, lowness of spirit, headache, crudities of the stomach, rickets and weak eyes”.
Another doctor, Thomas Houlston, asserted the water contained “without a doubt, iron dissolved both by fixed air and by vitriolic acid”, making it superior to other “chalybeates”, and “extremely beneficial, perfectly innocent and accepted even to weak stomachs”.
His account states that “it is particularly adapted to promote appetite and digestion, and to strengthen the tone of the stomach, impaired by excess or other causes. It gradually strengthens the whole habit, and hence is excellent in that weakness, which remains after acute diseases, and for those who, without any apparent cause, lose their strength, fall away, and are generally said to be going into weakness.”
In fact, it seemed the spring was an all-round miracle remedy, effectively treating everything from consumption to diabetes, nervous disorders, gout in the stomach and bowels, and ulcers. It was even said it “may” cure “barrenness” (infertility) and “imbecility”.
The spring can be found in the shadow of the Anglican Cathedral
Modern doctors would be unlikely to suggest the Chalybeate Spring as a cure-all. As a source of drinking water however, regular users seem to have no complaints, and happily overlook the green moss and lichen growing on the walls, over which a worn-out plaque reads:
Christian reader view in me,
An emblem of true charity,
Who freely what I have bestow,
Though neither heard nor seen to flow,
And I have full returns from Heaven,
For every cup of water given.
Surprisingly, the water has a clean, crisp taste practically indistinguishable from the bottled stuff on supermarket shelves.
But taste isn’t everything, as the consumption of raw water (natural water that has not been filtered or processed) is never fully risk-free. The Cleveland Clinic London Hospital has warned that untreated water can provide “a breeding ground for bacteria”.
It explained: “The water that comes to your home has been treated to filter and kill off disease-causing bacteria during a multi-step treatment process. During processing, dirt is separated out, germs get filtered out and disinfectants like small amounts of chlorine are added to keep the germs at bay.
“But untreated spring water goes through none of those steps. So, any germs that made their way into the water stay there. And they make their way into you.”